Chasing Clouds
by KeeperOfThePeterick
Summary: Fang has been away from the Flock for a year. With his Gang missing he finds work on a farm in England. Maddie, the Sister of his friend, has returned from Spain after two years. She is intrigued to meet her favourite character from her favourite books. Fang is intrigued by the black vans that shroud her life and her seemingly abusive boyfriend. Will she risk her family for Fang?
1. Meeting Maddie

**¡Hola! So this is the first chapter of my newest fic. Now, for all of you that constantly moan at me about updating the other ones, don't blame me, my friends have been pressuring me into writing this, just because it has them in it. Both An Angel's Dream and Bird-Kid Hormones are going to be updated either tomorrow or Thursday. O.K? So, whatever.**

**Uh, I just want to say in advance, the writing in this chapter is pretty awful by my standards, but it does get a lot better, trust me.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

**Chasing Clouds**

**Chapter One: Meeting Maddie**

**Fang POV**

"Fang! Fang! Wake the hell up you resource suckin' mule!" I groaned, rolling over in my bed. That was Joslin for you, he could be caring but most of the time he just called me a 'resource suckin' mule' because of the amount of food I ate. Asshole. He knew why. Let me tell you the story.

It's been almost two years since I left the Flock. After about six months my gang started to vanish, one by one, usually by night. I was soon on my own in the big bad world. Now, that didn't really bother me too much, it was the fact that I had no money and nowhere to go. I stumbled across the farm one day as I was passing across England, seeing Joslin struggling with a large, black horse. I had landed and helped him tame what I thought was a stallion, but turned out to be a female. He was amazed, saying that the horse never listened to anyone or thing. He was even more impressed when I got the large horse calmly into its stall. He offered me a job right then and there. I told him that I was only passing through, that I had nowhere to stay.

And here I am now. Living with Joslin and his wife, Sophie. The black horse was now mine, named Coal, since I was the only one that could handle the great beast.

I sat up in bed and threw the covers away from me, bending down and grabbing a relatively clean shirt from the floor. I pulled on a pair of black jeans, socks, and converse and put my lip ring in my pocket. Yes, I had a lip ring, get over it.

"FANG!"

"I'M COMING!" I shouted back, shaking my head at his impatience. I went downstairs, wincing as I heard glass breaking. Sophie was so clumsy. As I got to the kitchen, she was already sweeping it up. There was a plate of English breakfast on the table for me. I was about to sit down and eat it when I heard her hiss in pain. I rolled my eyes and knelt down next to her. I picked up all of the pieces of glass then pulled the shard out of her hand and wrapped it up. I looked at her, eyebrows raised. She sighed.

"You know how clumsy I am." She mumbled, standing up. I smirked at her then sat down and ate my breakfast. As I finished, Joslin came into the kitchen and sat opposite me.

"Today you have no jobs," Joslin said, making me look up at him quickly. But... "But, James called and said that he needs help decorating at his house. You know what he's like." James was my closest friend, introduced to me by Joslin when he helped James get his life on track when he needed it. I helped him out of the grave he was digging for himself and even got him a job here. He lives close by with his Mum, only about a five minute walk from the farm.

"Yeah," I replied, nodding as I left the table and put my plate in the sink. "I do." I left the house with a goodbye, grabbing my keys, phone and earphones on the way. I plugged my music into my ears as loud as possible, trying not to bob my head to the music in public. As I continued my journey I pulled my lip ring out of my pocket and slipped it on.

I got to James' house and walked straight in, knowing that if I knocked his Mum would probably kill me. The amount of times she had threatened to murder me because I knocked were un-countable. She was a very funny, very nice woman, but she was also very protective, freaking out when she saw me with a large cut on my lip where Coal decided that she didn't like my lip ring and ripped it out, causing me to have it put in on the other side.

"OH FANGY! MY BABY BOY! COME HERE AND GIVE YO' MUMMA A HUG!" Saddie, James' Mum, screamed. I chuckled and walked up to her, letting her hug me tightly. "Jesus boy! Stop growing, you'll hit the roof! You look like you're twenty-five!" I rolled my eyes at her. I was almost seventeen. I think.

"Yo, Fang!" James yelled, walking into the room holding multiple tins of paint.

"Hey, you know that's my word." I said.

"Whatever. You ready?" He groaned. I raised my eyebrows.

"What is it that we're doing?" I asked. Saddie gasped.

"He didn't tell you?!" She shrieked, making me wince. "My baby girl is coming home! She's been at her Dad's for almost two years and now she's coming home! I can't wait! You and James are painting her room for her. She deserves it." She added the last bit quieter, as if it was a secret.

I nodded and took some of the paint cans from James. As we made our way up stairs, Saddie shouted after us.

"I'll bring up some drinks and food soon."

"So, which one is hers?" I asked, looking at the five doors. He nodded his head at the door furthest away from the stairs. I frowned.

"Her room has the toilet on one side and the boiler room and shower room on the other side?" I asked. James nodded, a slight trace of annoyance on his face.

"Me and her together have lived in three different houses, and she always got the biggest and best room. She would just flash me one of her cute puppy-dog faces then promise to pay me over with a year's supply of her cookies. She's way too cute and innocent to say no to," The annoyance turned into happiness as he started to fuss with the door handle that had obviously seen better days. "I've missed her so much." After a few more shoves and kicks, the handle went down and James opened the door. The room was huge, probably a good thirty feet all around. I raised my eyebrows.

"When is she getting here?" I asked.

"Tomorrow." He replied, opening a tin of paint.

"Tomorrow?" I repeated. James nodded. "I don't think we can get this whole room done by then."

"Don't worry. Mum's putting wallpaper on the biggest wall. Plus, this paint is dark, probably won't need a second coat."

"What're the colours?" I asked.

"Black, purple and... Deep turquoise. Whatever that is."

"Sounds like a bruise to me." I mused. James laughed

"Get started, Fangles," James chuckled. "We're on a tight schedule."

"Don't call me Fangles." I growled. He just laughed at me again and threw me a paint roller and tin.

"You do this, this and this wall black," he told me, pointing to the according walls. "Then the chimney breast in the purple." I nodded and grabbed the black paint, tipping some into a tray.

"When's your Mum coming up to do the wallpaper?" I asked, putting paint onto my roller.

"When we've finished this." He replied.

I looked around the huge room, wondering how we were going to get this done by tomorrow.

**(LINERY BREAK)**

"So, she's in Spain with her Dad?" I asked. James nodded. "Why?"

"Well, there was an accident and her Grandmother and adopted little Sister died. Her Dad fell apart so she offered to go and live with him for a few years. She'll tell you the rest, I barely know the full story anyway."

"I understand," I told him. "Well, I'm finished here." And I was. In the time it took James to do two walls, I had done three and the chimney.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "I'm nearly done."

I walked over to the window and looked out. It was dark, about ten at night. Apart from the last wall that James was finishing off and the wall that the wallpaper was going on, the whole room was painted, the ceiling and door included. James had told me earlier that we would be doing some DIY tomorrow, early in the morning. Just things like shelves, a wardrobe, a new bed, fixing that bloody door that I almost broke my arm on. It scared the hell out of me when it just shot open on its own.

It had been a hot day and my shirt was sticky with sweat. I pulled it over my head and tucked it into the waistband of my jeans. A few moments later Saddie walked into the room, carrying a tray of fries, um, I mean _chips_, and burgers from the _chip shop_ across the road. All of this British lingo was confusing me.

"Hey boys, I got you some dinner," she said as she placed the tray on the ground. She looked at me. "Oh, Fang, you are making me all a fluster." She pretended to swoon. I put my arms out, catching her as she put a hand on her forehead. I chuckled at her and stood her up. I rolled my eyes and turned around to grab some food.

"Need a stretch?" Saddie asked suddenly. I looked at her over my shoulder. She nodded her head at my wings. I shrugged. Saddie and James took that as a yes and moved away a bit. I shook my shoulders and let my big, black wings extend slowly. It felt nice to let the muscles loosen from being cooped up all day. I shook them out a few times. I felt hands gently touch my primaries and looked back to see Saddie pulling out some twigs and brushing away dirt. I resisted the urge to smile like an idiot. She made me feel welcome, at home. She was the closest thing to motherly love I had ever felt. When she finished she smiled up at me warmly, cracking me and making me return it.

"Right, let's get on with this wallpaper!" She yelled enthusiastically, clapping her hands. I smirked at her excitement. She obviously couldn't wait for her daughter to return home. To be perfectly honest, I wanted to meet her. James hadn't told me much about her and for some unknown, completely random reason, I was intrigued.

**(LINEY BREAK)**

I had to sleep on the couch at James' house because the wallpapering took us almost five hours to complete. The damned wall was wonky, making us cut the decorative paper and re-fitting some already stuck-on sheets. So as you can imagine, I woke up with a stiff neck and shoulders. Then again, it was a lot better than sleeping on a floor of a cave in the middle of winter.

"Fang. You awake? Fang?" James poked my chest with every word as I tried to ignore him, keeping my eyes shut. After a few more pokes I grabbed his hand and pushed it away. I sat up, rubbing my eyes.

"What time is it?" I mumbled.

"Six." He replied. I looked up at him, my face blank. "Sorry dude, but we need to get working. Here." He gave me a sub from Subway and a few granola bars. I nodded thanks and got up. I followed James to Madison's room, half of the sub already gone. When we went in Saddie was already there, un-wrapping some furniture.

"Hey." She greeted, getting another nod from me. "Not a morning person, huh?" I shook my head, making her laugh.

"He's not a person. Full stop." James said. I punched his arm. He yelped and rubbed it, shooting me a small glare that I easily ignored.

"Well, I'm sorry Fang, but I just got a text from Simon, Maddie's Father, saying that she's getting on the plane in about an hour. The journey is about two and a half hours, plus another two hours for her to get here... So we've got about five-ish hours, all depending on traffic and her laziness. So we have a lot of work to do." I just shrugged, rubbing one eye with my fist.

"Naw, is Fangy tired- OW! Ok! OK! I'M SORRY!"

"James, shut-up," Saddie said, shaking her head and bending down to pick up a can of what looked like spray-on glue or something. "I just need to spray this on the walls, it will protect the colours from fading in the sunlight. Not that she ever opens the curtains. Anyway, while I'm doing that I need you two to set up her bed and wardrobe." I looked around, spotting what will soon be the bed, but not the wardrobe.

"Where are the pieces for the wardrobe?" I asked.

"Oh, right, forgot to mention. She has the un-suite – being the manipulative child she is – but there is another room before the toilet. We're turning it into a wardrobe. It's already decorated, it just needs the furniture in it. Shelves, racks, hangers, stuff like that. Ok?" I nodded and pulled a still sulking James into the closet- uh, I mean wardrobe. Stupid English words...

"Right," James mumbled, looking around. "Let's fit the shelves first..."

**(I am a Liney, Da, Da Da, Da Da!) (I am a Liney, Da, Da Da, Da Da!)**

** "**Good Lord." James panted, collapsing after putting the last screw into the bed frame.

"You're pathetic." I told him. He gave me a feeble glare.

"He's right you know," Saddie, said, walking into the room. "I've done as much work as you and I'm forty-three, but I'm fine. You're un-fit. Now get up, we still have to move the bed, put the mattress on, do the bedding, place accessories, stuff like that, and we only have about an hour left so MOVE!" James groaned then slowly got up. He made a big show about the bed being heavy so I pushed him out of the way and picked it up off the floor, walked across the room and placed it in the right place. He gaped at me and I just smugly grabbed the mattress and put that on. Saddie rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I can almost taste the testosterone." She said blankly as she started pulling the quilt cover over the duvet. I gave a small chuckle. James huffed, crossing his arms over his chest before standing up and helping. Finally.

They put the last few finishing touches as I fiddled with the door, trying to fix it and screw the lock on. I shut the door and stepped back, just waiting for it to explode open and attack me again. It didn't. Go me.

"Ah, that's about it! Oh Lordy! She'll be home soon! Let's go downstairs and wait. Oh, and Fang? I have a clean top of yours that you can put on. Who wants refreshments?" Saddie said. She was painfully like Nudge, able talk at fifty miles per hour, change the subject completely for no reason, and not need to breathe in between. It hurt, but I was the one that left, so I shouldn't complain, as Angel had told me, before she was taken from us. Again.

"Sure." I said, shaking the depressing thoughts from my mind.

Saddie kept chattering as we made our way downstairs. She was excited, that much was obvious, but there was something else, but I wasn't quite sure what it was. It was like there was something lying underneath the happiness, dampening it ever so slightly, but not enough to affect the entire mood. You know?

No?

Whatever.

"I wonder how her lessons have been. She only ever liked School for her friends, Art and Music. She has been tutored for the past year or so while she's been in Spain with her Father. He's a great man, he really is, he just couldn't handle the pressure after Ebony died. But I'll let her tell you that, yes, I will. Oh, and her singing. Oh her voice! I do _not_ know where she got it from. Really, I mean, she's half Australian, my side, and half Spanish, Simon's side, with all that passionate blood running through her it doesn't really surprise me that she is so... Well, passionate. But she has such a beautiful voice, she could either have you in floods of tears, or bouncy, ready to dance! Oh, she has the same kind of personality as you, Fang. She likes all of that strange screaming music and the ones where the guitar sounds funny!" I opened my mouth to say that I _did not_ like screamo, but she carried on. "She doesn't talk too much either. I mean, you have gotten a lot better, but that's just because you are more comfortable around us now, huh? Maddie is absolutely bonkers around her friends. It's very amusing actually. You should have seen them on their last sleepover. It was hilarious! They were running around the living room like loonies, singing the duck song backwards in Spanish. Well, Maddie and Paige were, the others were just making random sounds. I-"

"Mum." James whined.

"You're right, sorry." She mumbled.

"When is she getting here again?" He asked. I smirked at him.

"Did someone miss their little sister?" I asked. He scowled at me.

"No... She usually brings back some of those Spanish doughnuts. I want those." He replied. I wasn't convinced, and I was about to tell him so when I was cut off, again, but this time but the slam of a door, then another, louder this time. I heard pounding feet, another door, a door again, and then more pounding feet, then a figure appeared in the archway of the living room, staring at us. James stood up and she smiled then leapt at him. He hugged her back tightly, and put two and two together and guessed that this was Madison. After a while they let go of each other and she hugged her Mother, who was crying. (She's very emotional...)

Maddie stepped back and I finally got a good look at her. She was quite tall, about a head shorter than me, surprisingly enough. She had long, dark, shiny_ purple_ hair. She was wearing a Union Jack tee that stopped at her waist and dark blue, ripped skinny jeans that hung just low enough to let part of her hip bones show, the tee also revealing the dark skin of her waist, which was... Quite nice. As was her chest. And her hips. And her face, well, as much of her face as I could see. She was wearing large sunglasses that obscured her eyes. A black jacket was on over the tee, but un-zipped, and the sleeves were rolled up, showing off the many, multi-coloured bracelets she was adorning. Around her neck were three necklaces; one was long, with an Owl charm that sat over the middle of her chest. One was chunky, with a Diamond ring and a black cross. The last one was fairly simple, just a thin brown leather chain with a silver flower, six blue beads, three on each side of the charm. On her feet were a pair of designer looking black and blue pumps. Over all she looked... Good. Very good. Oh wow, what the hell?!

Saddie stepped forward and narrowed her eyes at Maddie whose own eyes widened.

"The hair. I can deal with that. But those curves. No. Get younger again. I will not accept you getting older and gorgeous! And what's this?" Saddie leaned forward and flicked what looked like a belly-bar.

"OW! That's new!" Maddie whined.

"A piercing. And a lip ring! You have one too!" Saddie sounded upset and I finally realised what that other feeling was. It was a kind of fear. She didn't want to see her youngest child again after a year and a half and see that she's finished growing up, and that she missed that.

"What do you mean 'too'? Who else has one?" Maddie asked. Saddie seemed to remember that I was here and motioned towards me. Maddie turned and looked at me, lifting her glasses of her face for a better look. Wow, her eyes were gorgeous. They looked exactly like melted dark chocolate. Black eyeliner circled her eye perfectly, the kind of "Emo look" Just not really thick and nasty.

"This is Fang." Saddie said. Maddie frowned and looked up at me.

"Fang?" She asked slowly. I nodded. Her eyes trailed down my body slowly then back up. I raised an eyebrow. Her frown turned into a charming smile and she put her hand out to me.

"Nice to meet you Fang." She said pleasantly. I shook her hand.

"Duce." I said. (It basically means you too.) Maddie raised an eyebrow of her own.

"An American accent. Gotta love American accents. Gotta love American guys." She mused. She looked me up and down once more before letting her sunglasses slip back onto her face.

"Where're your bags?" James asked.

"George is just getting them." She replied.

"Who's George?" Saddie asked.

"George is one of Dad's 'Butlers'. He's just an old friend of Dad's that has been helping me."

"Oh! George Tolbert?! That George?!" Saddie suddenly exploded. Maddie smiled and nodded. Saddie rushed outside, obviously going to see this George person.

"So, your Dad's just as loaded as usual?" James asked. Maddie nodded her head and walked into the kitchen. She reached up and opened one of the cupboards.

"Yes! I knew she would get some!" She cheered as she pulled out a pack of Oreos. She opened them and popped one in her mouth. She hopped up onto the counter and sat next to the window, swinging her feet.

"So Fang," Maddie said casually. A little too casually. "What are we to each other?" Ah. Two could play this game.

"I don't know. What do you think we are?" I replied. She grinned.

"Friends? Enemies? Cousins even?" She said, eating another Oreo.

"We aren't related, that's for sure."

"So, friends then?"

"I don't know..."

"Enemies? I do need a few more of those..."

"I don't know you enough."

"So you have to know me to decide?"

"Yeah."

"Ok. My favourite colours are black, purple, red and grey. I like doing gymnastics, cross-country and badminton. I like Asking Alexandria, Paramore, some Linkin park, some Limp Biscuit, Some Falling in Reverse, Guns 'n Roses, Imagine Dragon and Evanescence. That obviously isn't all of them, but we'd be here for a week. Uh... Oh, I like bunnies?"

"That killed your badass reputation." James murmured, receiving a glare that could easily equal Max's. Why do I keep comparing her to Max?!

"Yeah," I said, trying to shake my thoughts away. "It did. But, you haven't told me how old you are yet."

"Oh, right. I'm fifteen. Sixteen in three months." She said, tapping rhythmically on the counter. That shocked me. She looked older than that, maybe seventeen, more around my age. "You?"

"Eighteen. Almost. Maybe." I said, thinking it over. When was my last birthday..?

"What do you mean maybe?" Maddie asked casually, but there was something in her eyes, like a hint of recognition.

"Uh..." I mumbled, looking to James for support. He just shrugged.

"I don't know my birthday." I said finally. She didn't react she just nodded.

"Cool. So you could, like, pick your own age. I'd like that, them Mum wouldn't mind the Tattoo- Oh Shit!" She put her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide.

"What tattoo?" James growled. She sat there for a few moments before shooting up and darting away. James shot me a look and I took that as a 'Go and get her, you're quicker'. I rolled my eyes then followed her. She had run outside and past George and her Mother, who didn't seem to notice as I also passed. A few moments later I passed them again, this time dragging a kicking and screaming Madison behind me. I struggled with her for a while before I could finally get her back into the living room where James was waiting.

"Where is it?" He asked, his eyes narrowed in on his little Sister's. She just glared at him, and I must say, it was scary, Max scary.

STOP IT FANG!

Anyway.

"If you show me, I won't tell Mum." James bargained. Maddie's glare softened then she growled in annoyance and nodded. I let go of her and watched as she lifted the back of her shirt. A black 'love heart' with grey wings that looked like they were on fire, sat right at the bottom of her back.

"You got a tramp stamp?" James asked, sounding disappointed, but then he grinned. "Does that say Fang?"

"No!" Maddie said quickly, moving to cover the tattoo again, but I stopped her. I looked closer, though not too close, and there it was, right in the middle of the heart. I laughed and she turned around and pushed me over.

"Why?" I just about managed to ask.

"I don't know! It just... Felt right?" She seemed very frustrated. We just laughed at her again. "Well, do you have any tattoos?" She was trying to change the subject, her tanned cheeks flushing slightly. I showed her some sympathy and pulled my shirt off. Her eyes darted to my chest and stayed there.

"Like what you see?" I asked cockily. She moved her gaze up to mine and stuck her tongue out. I pointed to my back. Now, I know what you're thinking. But she already knows. She's read the books. Yes, the Maximum Ride books. I know this because James had told me late last night about her obsession with them, and how she'll go crazy about meeting me. It was pretty obvious that she'd recognised me from the start. When she heard my name she didn't seem to quite believe it. Then the birthday thing. So she obviously knew, I mean, she looked like a clever girl, so...

"Move your wing!" She yelled at me, irritated. I smirked at how she had no bad reaction to them at all, as if she had seen them before. I liked that.

I unfolded my wings slightly and tapped the back of my shoulder where it sat. It was a snow leopard, standing proud on an icy cliff. I also had one of those patterny things that ran down the top of my arm. You know the ones. The ones that most men have on their arms. Yeah? Well, mine was black. A few words of advice, black inc hurts. Don't get it done.

"Wait... Does that say Leo Pardus?" Maddie asked. I nodded and she burst into laughter. I tucked my wings in and turned around.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"That's... My last... Name!" She managed, practically snorting with laughter.

"Your last name?" I asked, disbelieving. She got herself back under control and stood straight and saluted me.

"Madison D'LeoPardus. Nice to meet you." She said. "So, Fang. I have one question for you." I cringed, knowing that it would either be, "What's it like to fly?" or the favourite, "WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE FLOCK?!"

"Who wrote the books?" I was surprised at first. She motioned for us to sit down on the sofa and I sat next to her.

"I don't know. I always wondered if it was Max, but she never had the spare time and she can't spell."

"It puzzles me, really."

"What, did you know that we were real?" I asked, looking at those eyes as she watched my fingers tap on my leg.

"Mmn. Yeah. I did. I mean, seriously, even James could write a better story line than that. It's pretty obvious that it's what really happened. Dude, I pissed myself when I read about the Global Warming thing. I mean, what the Fuck? That's a pile of bull! I've just finished my last science course and I know for a fact that Global Warming is just made up to make people recycle more, because the Governments' egos are too big to admit that we're running out of supplies." She replied, really building up a rant.

"I agree, I mean- What?!" I snapped the last part at James because he had been staring at me like a weirdo for the entire conversation.

"She didn't freak out! I freaked out when I first saw your wings! Why didn't you freak out?!" He asked, his voice rising. Maddie rolled her eyes at him.

"Dude, you give me so little credit. I knew about them already, and as soon as I saw Fang I knew it was him. Why would I freak out?"

"BECAUSE HE HAS WINGS ATTACHED TO HIS BACK!" James shouted and I scowled at him.

"Yeah! Why don't you yell it a bit louder, I don't think the next road up heard you." I growled.

"I've seen it before, I met A-" She cut herself off, looking at me. I frowned.

"What?" I asked. She looked away.

"I met Angel. When her, Max, Nudge and Ari were in England, after you guys split up the first time. She saw me in Madame Tussauds and she trotted over. She looked at me for a while then smiled and held out her hand. I didn't quite catch on at first, but she lifted her wind-breaker and showed me the tips of her wings and tapped her nose. We introduced ourselves and talked for a while. Then Max called her and she waved at me, but before she left she told me something freaky. About you," Maddie frowned, as if she had to dig deep into her memories to remember. "Something about being the first-"

"Maddie, Dear! George needs to go or he'll miss his flight! Come and say goodbye!" Saddie called from outside, cutting Maddie off. She seemed to snap out of her trance and looked at me, smiled that charming smile, then got up and left. I watched her go, no reaction hinting on my face but my heart had begun to beat a little faster. The first to die. That's what she was going to say. I would be the first to die. You know, I was actually managing to forget about that and Angel.

I sighed and looked at James who was still staring wide-eyed at me.

"She didn't freak out." He whispered. I rolled my eyes and stood up as Saddie walked back in.

"Oh, Fang, goodness. You just want me to collapse, don't you? Or were you showing off to my Daughter?" She smirked and I shook my head.

"She didn't freak out!" James said to his Mother like a child who was grassing on his sibling. She patted his head sympathetically.

"Oh, she's freaking out alright," Saddie said. "Look at her." I looked out the window.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yep. She's waiting for an opportunity to be alone so that she can explode. You see how casual she's being? She's trying to cover up her inner hyperactive-teenage-girl-emotions. She's quite good at it, but I'm her Mother, I know everything." I looked back at Maddie through the window and saw that she was waving to the retreating car. She came back into the house and popped her head into the room.

"Can I have some help taking these upstairs, please?" She asked politely, and I finally noticed her twitching, the way she was itching to move. She was freaking out. For some reason that... Excited me?

"No." James said smugly. Maddie glared at him and he flinched. I snorted at him.

"James, don't be such a lazy bugger and help your Sister." Saddie said, her tone Motherly but firm. Like Max's-

Stop it.

"Maddie has a tattoo!" James shouted suddenly. Maddie looked like she was going to kill him and I face-palmed.

"I know, Simon called me. Show me." She said. Maddie tentatively came into the room and turned around lifting her shirt. Saddie studied it for a while then tapped it with her nail.

"Fang... Cool!" She said. Maddie turned around. She examined her Mother's face then grinned and high-fived her. "You know, Fang has a tattoo on his shoulder with your last name on."

"I know." Maddie snickered, walking back to the hall. I scowled at the back of their heads as we all walked upstairs.

How many bags did this girl need, I mean seriously? It took Me, Maddie and James five trips to get them all upstairs. I took four every time, Maddie took two, and James took three. That's... forty-two bags! Forty-two! And most of them were huge suitcases.

"What's with the luggage?" Saddie asked as we shoved the final bags into the wardrobe for Maddie to un-pack. James threw my shirt at me and I pulled it on.

"Oh A'ma!" She said happily. "Pa was sad, but he wanted me to finish school properly, and with the Girls, so he let me come back early. You know that. But what you don't know is that when I was out getting some groceries with Mary – she cooked for us sometimes – Pa and George went to El Corte Inglés, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara, Bershka, Plimkie and Mango and a load more. They're some of the best clothing stores in Spain. I came back and went up to my room, and there they were, sitting on my bed and grinning at me, with over ten thousand Euros worth of clothes and presents! That's almost nine thousand pounds worth! I couldn't believe it! I think that I cried when they told me. I can't really remember…" Her voice trailed away as we stared at her.

"What?" Saddie asked, her eyes wide. Maddie looked up at her.

"I knew that your Dad was rich but… Jesus." James muttered.

"What does your Dad do?" I asked calmly, though I was fairly shocked. That was a lot of Euros…

"He used to part-own Microsoft, but he became… Ill. His name is still on the deed you know, but he isn't quite ready to go back to work yet. Oh, and Nana and Gramps – may they rest in peace – left him a bucket load of money when they died."

"Well…" I said.

"Yeah," she said, a small sigh escaping her lips that only I heard. "Now get out! I need to unpack!" She shooed us away. She closed the door and after a few moments I only just heard the muffled scream of excitement she let out.

* * *

**Well, what did I tell you? That's right, I told you that the writing is awful. But I can promise you that it gets a lot better! Honest!**

**O.K Paigeee, Erin, I hoped that you two bloody enjoy this fic because I'm ill an I so can't be asked, BUT NEVER MIND!**

**Please review, and I will reply to them in the next chapter. Please? It will only take a few seconds out of your life.**

**R&R?!**


	2. The First Freak Out

**Well hello there Pretty lady!**

**I thought that I'd upload again. In reality I'm being pressured into it again but that's fine, I guess.**

**I know people wont want to read this because it's about Fang and my own character, but they don't know what they're missing!**

**Review time!**

**Glassheart-x - Paigeee is already digging into me...  
And I've got a new laptop and I have word so Mlerr!  
**

**Paigesaurus - You smell. That is all.**

**imaddictedtocarrots - Dude, I know! It's great isn't it. You just wait...**

**Without further ado...**

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**Chapter Two: The First Freak Out**

**Maddie's POV**

Ermagerd! ERMAGERD! THAT WAS FANG! Like, _the_ Fang. From the books. I might faint. Oh God, oh God. His chest! He has, like, an eight pack! I didn't even think that that was possible! I mean-

I suddenly slapped myself in the face.

Madison D'LeoPardus, you are a tough, half Spanish, half Australian almost sixteen year old Girl, who does not freak out over miner things like boys. Even this boy. Now, gather your reprieve and Bloody well straighten yourself out. You are lucky as Hell that he didn't see or hear any of that.

Well Shit.

I had turned around to look out the window and there he was, extremely tall, extremely dark, and _extremely_ handsome. Fang. He was smirking up at me. My jaw dropped.

"Did you see all of that?" I mouthed to him. His smirk got bigger and he nodded, his amazing fringe falling over one eye. I closed my eyes in embarrassment. When I opened them again I could see him laughing. I groaned and moodily snapped my curtains shut. Now I could _hear_ him laughing at me. I face-palmed. Take that all back, Maddie. You are a girly, excitable, sorry excuse for a Pardus. And a Leo.

Let me explain.

My parent's relationship was... complicated. For fourteen years they debated over my last name. It was irritating because on my school register I only had my first name down and that embarrassed me, even though the other kids thought that it was cool. Then, when they were arguing about it one day, when my Dad had come over to pick me up, (Don't ask...) I just exploded.

"Oh for Fuck sake! Just give me both names! Like... Leo-Pardus, or something." They were so shocked that they didn't even scold me for swearing, which I did a lot anyway.

Then the accident happened and I went back to Spain with my Dad.

So that was how I got my name. D'LeoPardus. The D was from my Great-Gran – May she rest in peace – Because her name was Deirdre. (Pronounced, Dear-dree) Her friends used to call her Dee for short so... I mean, it was my middle name at first. Madison Dee LeoPardus. But it didn't sound right. So I changed it to DeeLeoPardus. But that was worse, so I shortened her name again – Sorry Gran – And it became D'LeoPardus. Quite the unique name, no? Yeah, oh, and if you were wondering, Leo was on my Mum's side, and Pardus was on my Dad's. Saddie Leo and Simon Pardus. Well, Mum's real name was Sandra, but she didn't like it and people used to call her 'Sandra-Dee' like from Grease, so she changed that. We are such weirdoes. I don't know how I have socially survived. Well, I haven't for the past two years, considering I barely ever left the house, had to care for my Dad, and that I was homeschooled, except without the tutor and just doing all of my coursework on my own and if I needed to do an Exam I had to go to the local School and be watched over as I did it. But that was O.K. My Dad needed me, so I helped him. Besides, I got amazing grades, because I didn't go to school I got to just revise and revise all the time then take the Exams a year early, and if I didn't get a good mark I could re-take them. It was pretty cool, but it was torture, and my Dad could see that, so he told me to come home early. I tried to hide my happiness when he told me but I couldn't. It wasn't just my Mum and James that I had missed, I also had an older Sister. She was the Eldest – Damn it! – and she had a Daughter, my Niece, obviously. But I also had the best, most amazing friends in the entire Feckin' world ( I LOOOOVE YOU GUYS IF YOU'RE READING!) who are going to kill me because I left for Spain with only a very short phone call, saying that I had to go. Oops, I hope that they don't majorly hate me, but you never know...

"MADDIE!" My Mum called, then, "Wow, I will never get used to that again." I laughed quietly.

"Yeah?" I replied, getting up from where I had been sitting on the floor, riding on my train of thought.

"What are we doing for dinner?" She asked. I frowned then looked out the window.

"What the Fuck..?" I murmured. It was getting dark outside. I got here at about Two O'clock, then we spent about an hour downstairs. So I've been up here since Three O'clock and ...

"Mum! What's that time?" I asked.

"Half Six." She called back. Well Crapola, I've been just sitting up here for three and a half hours. Maybe I went to sleep for a while...

"Uh... I'll come down!" I said. I opened my door then stopped. What if Fang was down there?

"Yeah, and? What if Fang is down there? Suck it up." I said to myself.

"Yeah, suck it up." A deep voice said behind me and I squeaked and whirled around to see Fang smirking down at me.

"I.. How did you... I don't... Asshole!" I gave up and yelled at him. He just laughed at me then started to walk down stairs. I was so tempted to kick him...

"Oh, Fang, are you staying tonight?" Mum asked him as we entered the living room. He opened his mouth to answer but James interrupted.

"Yeah." He said, giving Fang an odd look. Fang just gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Good, now, what's for tea? We can have pizza or-"

"Hold up!" I said suddenly, standing in front of Fang. "I have been eating gourmet meals for almost two years, and you may think that it sounds great, but it's really awful. Yeah, it's nice for the first week, but then you kind of get sick of it. Here's the plan: We're having... MacDonald's tonight. Then KFC tomorrow. Then... Subway. Then a Chinese from that nice place down the road that I hope is still there. Then... We can decide that at a sooner date. O.K?"

"Subway for dinner?" James said.

"Yup! Any objections?" I asked. Silence. "Good. Lettuce leaf! Get it?" Fang groaned.

"That is an awful joke." He said.

"Quit whining and grab your shoes, you're coming with me."

**(Liney likes Maddie! Me: *Blushes* Thanks!) (Liney likes Maddie! Me: *Blushes* Thanks!)**

We were almost at MacDonald's. Most of the journey had been relatively quiet apart from the odd little conversation. So you can imagine how surprised I was when Fang spoke up.

"So, tell me more about yourself." He said. I looked up at him – I hated how he was almost a head taller than me – and smiled.

"Uh, where do I start..? O.K, I have – Well, had – These amazing friends. Paige, Erin, Rose, Joe and Devan. We were... Well I guess you could say that we were popular, but not in a bad way. We were popular for being good friends, for being nice – ish – and for hating the 'Populars'," I put air quotes around the last word and Fang gave a small chuckle. "Plus many other things. Including a fight that I got into when I ripped all of Rebecca's, stupid, Willy-Wonka-style hair out by the roots, but that's another story.  
"I knew Paige first. Yeah, I've known her since we were small enough to burry each other in the small sandpit in my back-garden. Then there was Erin. I met her when I was at the Police Station one time because I punched some guy, again, a different story. She was being arrested for being drunk and disorderly, so, to ease her punishments I walked up to the Officer that she was with, barely conscious, and told him that I knew her and that we were good friends. He just shrugged and handed her over to me. She lived near me, which was nearly forty miles away – Don't ask – So I hacked into her phone and called her foster home, telling them to come and pick her up. I then took her to the nearest Coffee shop, sobered her up as much as I possibly could, and talked to her. By the end of the night we had exchanged phone numbers. I sent her off with a wave then my Mum turned up, pissed (The angry kind), telling me that she had gotten a phone call from the Police saying that I had been arrested but had somehow escaped custody. That's when I remembered that I was still under arrest and that I probably shouldn't have left." Fang was chuckling as we walked down the Jitty and saw the building in the distance.

"Then there was Joe and Rose. I met them both on the first day of Year Seven. Rose was a nervous wreck who seemed to be terrified of everything, and Joe was an Ass. I whipped them both into shape in a matter of days. Rose became more confident and Joe became nicer, albeit that he was still an Ass when I left and probably still is, he was one of my best-friends. And totally head-over-heels in love with Paige, even though she practically hated him.  
"Then finally there was Devan. He... Was difficult. He was abused as a child because of his dark skin tone. Turns out that his Mother had had an affair with a black man and her husband wasn't very happy about it. She left Devan with the man and he resented that. But instead of doing the right thing and taking him somewhere he could be safe and happy, the man kept Devan and took his anger out on him. We were in Year Eight when we met him. He walked into class on his first day of school, sat down and instantly got bullied. As soon as I heard someone call him a 'Nigger' I got up and punched that person in the face, then proceeded to lecture the other bullies on why they shouldn't be such Assholes, especially to someone they have only just met. After it all, Devan was so happy and surprised that someone had actually stood up for him, that he cried. From that day on, no one even dared to think a bad word towards him, for fear of me and Erin, because she's part Jamaican, and she absolutely despises racism. That and she really cared for him, took him under her wing, if you don't mind the pun and – Oh God, I hate talking." I whined as I walked into MacDonald's and up to the counter.

"Yeah, hi, can I have a... What did they want? Oh yeah, a Big Mac meal with extra cheese and bacon. Large. With Banana Milkshake. A Caesar salad and a large Fries and Pepsi. Uh, I want a Big Mac and Cheese meal, large with Coke, a Cool-Chicken Wrap, and a cheeseburger. Fang?" I asked him as I finished my order.

"Uh, a Large Big Mac and Cheese meal with Coke, a Spicy-Chicken Wrap, a Cheeseburger, and an extra Fries. Large. And a Large Chocolate Milkshake." He said.

"Oh, yeah!" I said. "Can I also have a Chocolate milkshake and four-no, six Sugar Doughnuts please? Thanks." The dazed worker trotted away to get our order.

"So anyway, I guess you could say that I'm a bit of a Mother Bear when it came to venerable people. It's strange, because I hate everyone. Obviously not my Family, and yes, I class my Friends as my Family. But it's weird. I really hate everyone else. Not you, I guess, which is upsetting, I really wanted to hate you." He scowled at me.

"It didn't look like it from the freak out you were having in your room earlier." He retorted. My face flushed instantly and I hoped that my dark skin would hide it.

"O.K, so," the Woman who took our order returned with our food. "We have... A Large Big Mac meal with extra cheese and bacon and a Banana Milkshake. A Caesar salad and a large Fries and Pepsi. A Big Mac and Cheese meal, large with Coke, a Cool-Chicken Wrap, and a cheeseburger. Then a large Big Mac and Cheese meal with Coke, a Spicy-Chicken Wrap, a Cheeseburger, and an extra, large Fries. And a Large Chocolate Milkshake. And a Chocolate Milkshake. And... Six Sugar Doughnuts. Is that everything?"

"Yup!" I said cheerily. We took the bags and the drink holders outside were we put them on a table.

"We probably didn't think this through." Fang said, looking at the amount of food we now had to carry home.

"That's not like you."I mumbled sarcastically as I looked around. I could _feel_ Fang glaring at me. I shrugged it off and walked around the side of the building and found what I was looking for. Walter.

"Fang! Come here!" I whispered to him excitedly. He came around the corner.

"What?" He asked, looking at the sleeping, homeless man that was sitting, leaning against the large bin.

"That's Walter. I know him. He's an absolute Douche, and he once tried to feel Erin up so, here's me, getting my revenge." I walked over to Walter, trying hard not to breathe in the stench. I leaned over his body and gently, gently, moved is hand off of the handle of his shopping trolley and put it on the handle of the mucky bin. I tried my hardest not to giggle as I slowly pulled the cart away from him. Fang had a hand over his mouth to hide his laughter where as I was silently laughing, barely able to breathe. I let a high-pitched giggle out when he shifted slightly and mumbled, "Oh, Baby, come a little closer to Daddy. Let me help you with that lump of yours." I snorted as I tried to hold in my laughter and quickly pushed the cart away. I took it to the hose one the other side of the building. I looked around for anyone then quickly pulled it out and turned the water on.

"What are you doing now?" Fang asked. I sprayed the cart all over, noticing that it was relatively new-looking. He must have only just taken this.

"Washing it so that we can put the food inside. I am not putting my food in here before washing it, he's probably humped a few dogs in this thing." I said. Satisfied that the trolley was clean, I wheeled it back over to the table and we started loading the food in, then we heard,

"Wha- What? Where's muh trolley? Where's muh trolley?!" Walter stumbled around the building and saw us.

"You!" He hissed, pointing one of his probe-used fingers at me.

"Me!" I yelled with fake bubbliness. I elbowed Fang. "Move. Move. Move!" Fang and I both sprinted away, pushing the cart in front of us. I could hear him shouting and cursing us out but it was overwhelmed by our laughter. After a few minutes Walter stopped running and sat on the floor.

"You Bitch!" He shouted after me. "You Fuckin' wait, you Whore!" I stopped running and Fang stopped too. I turned around and looked at the pathetic excuse of a man.

"That's what you get for touching one of my Girls! I swear to Fucking God, Walter, if you go anywhere near any of them or any other innocent person, ever again, I will rip your Fucking balls off and shove one down your throat and one up your Ass. But wait, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Walter gave out a frustrated yell and I laughed then you continued to run.

"That was a bit harsh." Fang said as we slowed down again. I shrugged.

"He's a real creeper. Like, Jimmy Saville style. And I am very protective of my own."

"Right." Fang mumbled.

"Wait, Fang," I said, frowning. "I just realised. We never paid for our food. Holy Fucking Shit, there's at least forty pound's worth of food here!" Fang I looked at the food.

"Nice." He said, nodding. I punched the air with my success. We were nearly home and I suddenly felt very hungry and tired. I slowed my walk right down and Fang looked at me.

"Jetlag," he told me and I groggily looked up at him. "You need to eat your food then go to bed. Spain is on a different time zone to us, so to you this is about... half seven, which is when your body would naturally start to unwind." I smiled at him.

"Thanks."I mumbled tiredly. Fang gave me a small smile and I almost melted right then and there. Jeez, he was hot as Hell! But, you know, I was never going to admit that to anyone, much less him. Not right at that moment, that is.

We walked onto the driveway and pushed the trolley to the door. Fang grabbed a load of it and I opened the doors for him, then grabbed some more food. As soon as James smelt the food he pounced at us.

"Sit the Fuck down." I told him. He pouted but flopped onto the couch anyway. When all of the food was indoors and the trolley hidden from, say, the Police, we sat in the living room and ate. Fang and I were sitting on one of the sofas at one side of the room and Mum and James were at the other end of the room, arguing over what to watch on T.V. I rolled my eyes at them as Fang turned to face me, sitting cross-legged on the sofa. I copied his position.

"I have some questions." He said. I nodded.

"I thought you would." I said.

"First off, who did you punch and who won the fight?"

"It was just some random guy from school, really," I said smoothly. "He was being an utter creep, and he was saying things about Paige when he thought I couldn't hear. We were on a school trip when I lost it. That's why we were so far away from school. It was one of the last days of Year Six, then we would move up to Secondary School. Erin was in the same year as us, but the other class. Her and some of the other kids had found a guy that sold some drugs and got high, which is why she got arrested for being drunk and disorderly. And yes, I totally won."

"O.K. But you didn't tell me much about Paige." Fang said, taking a bite of his burger. I sighed a little.

"It's complicated. At first it was me, Paige and Jamie. We were all born in the same hospital, in the same week, because our Mums were friends and they all got pregnant on the same night. Don't ask, it's gross. So we were always friends, we went to Preschool and Primary together. But in year Five Jamie had to move away. So he left, and we couldn't go and visit him, because he was two hundred miles away. So Paige and I had to try to get on with everything without him. Paige is an awesome person, she really is. I so hope that she doesn't hate me for leaving."

"Believe me, I know how it feels, not knowing if they're O.K or not. Or if they hate you." Fang said, looking me right in the eyes.

"Yeah." I murmured. And click, I was lost in his eyes. When reading the books, and how Max loved his eyes, I didn't think that such a person actually existed. But I met Angel, and now Fang. And as I stared into those eyes of his I finally understood how Max felt every time she did the same.

"Maddie." James called, but it sounded distant. I ripped my eyes away and saw everything come back into focus around me.

"Wha?" I mumbled, blinking a few times.

"When are you going back to School?" He asked.

"Tomorrow." I sighed. It was Sunday and I already had everything ready, including a mass of presents for the Girls. I obviously got Joe and Devan some presents, but nowhere near as many as I got the Girls. They did deserve them and yes, they were also leverage for my forgiveness but who can blame me? O.K, everyone, but still.

"Then you should get some sleep." Mum said. She stood up and brushed the crumbs off her lap. I glared at her but nodded and got up anyway.

"Good night, guys," I said. "Good to be back."

"Good to have you back." James said.

* * *

**...**

**You know how I said that it would get better... Please, I hate starting new Fics because you have to explain everything and it gets really messy. Trust me, the writing will be awesome soon compared to this shit that I can barely upload without cringing.**

**Please review if you have been reading. It's a decent thing to do...**

**R&R?**


	3. Meeting The Girls

**Aloha!**

**I have received information that most people don't like OC stories. JK, I knew that already. It's fine by me, I'm not gonna judge.**

**Unless you are reading this Fic but not Reviewing because you can't be asked. **

**Then you are an awful person.**

**Haters be hate'n.**

**Glassheart-x - Yeah, right...**

**To Kill A Blonde - Thank you for reviewing and as you can see, this is me, updating.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Meeting the Girls**

**Maddie's POV**

"Maddie!" Someone called. I opened my eyes and looked around. _Where the Fu... Oh, right, I went back home._

I sat up slowly and rubbed my eyes. I was about to lay back down, but nooooo...

"MADDIE!" My Mum shouted.

"I AM COMING, WOMAN!" I screamed back. I swung my legs over the edge of my bed and stood up. I shivered from the instant lack of heat as my Duvet fell off me. I stumbled across the room, managing to dodge all of the suitcases lying around, and opened my wardrobe. Right at the front was one of the only things that I hadn't missed while I was in Spain. My uniform. I groaned and began to pull it on, buttoning the shirt up and putting the clip-on tie at the top. Then slipping my black cardigan on. Then my black trousers. And the black socks. And black shoes. You would think, wouldn't you?

I only glared at the blazer that was hanging in front of me. I never wore that thing, and I never will, but I had to take it with me. Well, today I did but I'm sure that I can convince the Staff that I don't need it.

I grabbed the damned thing off of the hanger and went to my mirror. I- you know what? I am not going to bore you with how I put my make-up on and all of that other crap. I will just tell you that I wore it the same way that I did yesterday. How I wear it every day, no matter what. Black eyeliner all the way around with a small flick at the outside corner.

"MADISON!" James shrieked like the girl he is outside my bedroom. I scowled at the door. I pushed the lock off and yanked it open.

"What?" I asked calmly.

"WAKE UP!" He yelled in my face. "Oh, and, nice uniform." He ran away before I could slap him. With a grumble I grabbed my bag and went downstairs.

"Oh, hi Honey!" Mum said as I walked into the kitchen. I smiled at her then stole the toast that I guessed was James'. My assumption was proved correct as James yelled "Hey, where's my food?!" I laughed and skipped away. Then bumped into Fang. He raised an eyebrow at my uniform and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"James wants me to be your own personal body guard, for reasons that I don't know. He told me not to tell you but I figured that you'd know anyway." I looked blankly at Fang.

"My Brother wants me to have a bodyguard?" I asked. Fang nodded. I rubbed my forehead. "Is that why he wanted you to stay here yesterday?" Fang nodded and I rolled my eyes.

"Maddie, do you want me to drive you to school?" Mum asked as she walked into the room.

"Yeah, that would be great, thanks." I said gratefully. I did _not_ want to catch the bus.

"Have you told the Girls that you're back yet?" Mum asked me as we got in the car. Fang got in the back, adamant that he had to be my 'bodyguard'. It was obviously amusing him.

"No," I snorted. "That would be an awful idea."

"So you're just going to walk into school and go up to them like nothing is wrong?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, and I know that it isn't a particularly clever thing to do, but if I told them last night they would have instantly been crawling all over me."

"I suppose..." Mum murmured. "Oh, I forgot how to ask you yesterday, but how do you like your new and improved room?"

"Oh, it's great. Just my colours. Thanks, you didn't have to do that." I told her.

"It was nothing," Mum shrugged then indicated to Fang with her head. "He did most of the work. Shirtless."

"Naw, you know how I am." He said sweetly. I turned slightly and gave him a playful scowl.

"Thanks." I said nicely. He shot me one of those small smiles and – no shit – my heart stopped for a moment. I sat back facing forwards and let my eyes widen.

"Here we are! Good luck Honey!" Mum yelled enthusiastically as I got out of the car. I shot her a look then waved. Bloody Woman...

"O.K Fang. This is just a word of warning. My friends are a bit... Crazy? Yeah, crazy is definitely the best word to use. So just watch yourself." I warned. He nodded seriously and bumped his shoulder with mine. He flashed me another smirk and I had to look away.

We were about to walk through the gate when I suddenly grabbed Fang's arm and pulled him behind the large Welcome Sign.

"What?" He asked.

"They're over there. OmiGod, what is she wearing..?" My voice trailed away and I snuck back around the sign and towards my group. Their backs were to me, which I was thankful for. As I got closer, I heard someone say,

"Is that Maddie?" It was some random student, and I praised myself for making such a great reputation.

"Her hair is too short for those extensions." Erin said and I saw her shake her head, her long, almost black hair flowing easily behind her.

"Agreed." Rose said and I mentally groaned at the huge multi-coloured head-band that she was wearing.

"She's just making herself look worse." Paige said. I smiled as she fingered her pony tail. Her Mother had finally let her dye her hair black and blue. It looked great.

"Man, if Maddie was here she would rip those Fuckers right out!" Erin hollered. I was right behind them and Fang had joined me and he smiled when I mouthed 'yes!' to myself. They were still talking about me. I hoped it was always in a good way like this.

"Oh, definitely." I said, finally breaking my cover. There a moment's pause then they whirled around and looked at me.

"Maddie? Is that you?" Rose asked quietly. I grinned wide and nodded. That's when Paige exploded. I might have mentioned this before, but we have known each other for the longest. We have a natural compulsion to protect each other, no matter what. So her reaction didn't completely surprise me. It was a shock though.

"WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Paige shrieked at me. I quickly raised my hands for peace. She sounded very angry.

"Uh, try Spain..." I mumbled. She shoved me hard and only my amazing balance stopped me from falling over.

"You never called! You never contacted us at all! You just left with a short voicemail saying that you had to leave. And that's it! You Fucking loony! Do you know how worried we were?! Especially me! I thought that Lewis had done something to yo-" I slapped my hand over her mouth. My scanned the crowd that was starting to gather. Paige bit my hand and I yelped and pulled it away. She slapped me hard on the arm and glared at me. But then her resolve broke and she slammed into me, hugging me fiercely. I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed her back. She pulled way after a while and glared at me, though it wasn't as hatful as it was before.

"Why were you in Spain?" Rose asked quietly. I looked at the crowd that had gathered and rolled my shoulders.

"I'll tell you later. At my amazing sleepover of super amazing-ness on Friday. Which you are all coming to. I've already asked parents and carers." I told them.

"What if we don't want to come to your stupid sleep-over?" Erin said spitefully. I winced inwardly then gathered myself again as I noticed Fang watching me, and, knowing him, he would know whatever I was thinking or feeling. He's an Ass like that.

"I have presents," I could see them softening up already. I smiled. "That I bought with as much of my Father's money as I could," Rose and Erin's eyes widened as they thought about how rich my Father was. "From some the very best clothing and accessories shops in Spain," Erin and Rose smiled and nodded their heads like the Winston Churchill Dog but Paige stood her ground. "And, you know, Blue Banana." That got her, but wasn't all I had to say.

"The guys are coming too, they just don't know it yet. And, on Saturday, I'll take you all into town and spend as much money on you as you and my bank account will let me," I stepped aside and said the next sentence as quickly as I could.

"Oh yeah and this is Fang!" I closed my eyes and waited for a reaction. But before any of the Girls could reply I heard a different girl shriek. Uh oh!

"Err, Fang, you might wanna-" I was cut off as a small girl rushed through everyone and stood right in front of Fang. He took a step back in shock and I could tell that he had almost kicked her in surprise.

"OMIGOD! Hi, my name's Heather! I have read all of the books and seriously, I am a big fan. Not as much as Maddie though. Man, she used to drool over you. I'm sure she still does. And, I mean-" I cut _her_ off by stepping in front of her, which made me press my body slightly against Fang's, but I would have done anything to stop her talking right then.

"Naw, Maddie, I wanted to hear what she had to say." He said cockily. I scowled at him then turned my head and scowled at Heather too. There was a reason I didn't introduce her; she could easily do it all by herself.

"Move." I said. She looked at me for a moment before stepping back a bit. I moved away from Fang as I felt my face flush. Stupid, stupid hormones.

"So, your, like, the Fang? From the books?" Paige asked, crossing her arms over – well, _under_ – her chest. Just to prove his point Fang nodded in that quiet, Fang-like way. Erin came over to me and shoved me with her shoulder.

"Man, you hit a jackpot there." She said. My face flushed again and Fang grinned, which made all of the girls in the immediate area swoon. I was about to make a snarky quip but then a new, deep, accented voice rang out from behind me.

"Maddie?" I spun around and saw a dark face that I had missed as much as my Girls.

"DEVAN!" I squealed. I sprinted to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He lifted me up and spun me around a few times. I laughed and kissed his cheek. He kissed mine back. It was a thing that he and I did. He set me down and I beamed up at him.

"Baby Girl, where you been?" He asked and I closed my eyes at the sound of his African accent.

"Spain. Look, I'll tell everything on Friday, at the sleepover that you're already coming to." He smiled.

"I've missed your bossy-ness." He said quietly and I giggled.

"I've missed bossing you around." I replied.

"Have you seen everyone?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I haven't seen Joe yet." I told him. His face was that of real seriousness.

"Well then, we will have to go and find him." Devan said and pulled me away. Fang and the Girls followed us as we walked to one of the bigger buildings. I could see Joe sitting on a bench with his earphones in and drumming on his legs with his favourite drum sticks. I snuck up behind him and put my hands over my eyes. He reached up and pulled his earphones out while I mouthed to Paige to talk for me.

"Guess who." She said as she stood next to me. Joe smiled.

"Well, I would say Paige, but she doesn't have dark skin and she doesn't usually smell like a friend of mine's favourite Candy Shop Perfume." I grinned so wide that I thought that I was going to explode.

"It has to be Maddie, because only she has such a big boner over me." I pulled away and slapped him. He laughed as I launched myself onto his back. He stood up and I decided that he now had to give me a piggy back.

"Piggy back!" I said.

"No." Joe scoffed.

"PIGGY BACK!" I was fully aware that I sounded like a four year old.

"And there's the bossy ness." Devan murmured. I scowled at him and the others as they laughed. Joe suddenly let go of me and I shut my eyes on impulse, expecting to fall hard on my Ass. When that didn't happen I opened my eyes and looked up at Fang. Was holding my waist. I blushed furiously as I realised that he had caught me. I stood up properly and cleared my throat. Joe and Devan were sharing a look. Rose was watching wide-eyed. Erin was giving me suggestive looks. Paige was watching me intently. I brushed my trousers with my hands. Well, this was awkward.

"Hey, is that Madison?" I heard someone yell and my head snapped up. More voices joined the first in question and a slow smile spread my lips. Then I heard one voice that I really hadn't missed.

"Madison? As in, Madison D'LeoPardus?" It was Chantelle Lloyd, the biggest 'Popular' and the most hated by me and anyone else with sense. I smirked to the Girls and jumped up onto the bench. It was tall enough to make me loom over the crowds of students and pick Chantelle out.

"Hell yes!" I hollered and my Boys hooted for me. Chantelle turned and faced me. The look on her face was priceless as she strutted up to the bench, shoving people out of her way as she did. I looked down at her.

"What the Hell are you doing back?!" She sounded defensive and I shrugged nonchalantly, knowing it would piss her off.

"I missed you." I said sweetly.

"Bull." She replied. I hopped off the bench and stood in front of her.

"Oh no, Chantelle's all defensive because little ole Maddie is back. What's the matter, did he fall asleep last night?" I asked. I heard Erin whistle in approval behind me and I knew that she would be holding her hand up for a high-five. I put my hand on my shoulder, palm up and she tapped it with her own. A minute in and Chantelle was already fuming.

"Says you." She blurted. I raised my eyebrows.

"Is that the best you could do?" I asked. She opened her mouth then shut it again. I snorted. I claimed my victory and turned around and walked back to my Family.

"Yeah, you better run back to your little Sluts!" I stopped so suddenly that I jerked forwards slightly. Rose's eyes widened dramatically and she put a hand over her mouth and Paige smirked because she knew what was coming. They all did. I turned around slowly and looked at Chantelle. She seemed to realise her mistake. Well she was too God damned late. I grabbed her by the collar and pulled her face close to mine. I pulled my fist back and I was about to slam it into her stupid, make-up caked face when a strong hand gripped my arm and held it back. I looked up, expecting to see a Teacher glaring down at me. But it was Fang.

"Aren't you glad that I'm not a Teacher? Don't bother. Don't stoop to her pathetic level." He told me. That got me. Damn, he could have said something like Donkey Monkeys and I would have calmed down. I guess he just has that way about him. I turned back to Chantelle. She was crying like the piece of fake Shit that she is. I scoffed and shoved her away. She stumbled and landed on her butt where she instantly burst into tears. Her Pose gathered around her. I pushed them out of the way so that I could lean over her.

"Don't you ever say anything about my Family again you little Whore. Do you hear me?" I threatened. She nodded her fat head. I stood up straight and looked at what seemed like the whole school who had gathered around us. I was surprised that no teachers had interrupted. I fixed my shirt and cardigan then walked over to the bench and scooped my bag and blazer up. With one look from me everyone dispersed. I entered the building just as the registration bell rang out above us.

No one messes around with my Family.

* * *

**Hi again!**

**How did you like the Girls? They are based on my real friends, three of whom read this. It's pretty bad considering I gave Madison my name. The taunts! *Faints***

**Oh, and can you do me a favour and check out my other Fics. There is 'An Angel's Dream' and 'Bird-Kid Hormones'. Please have a look if you like my work.**

**But yeah, be nice and review for me please!**

**R&R?**


	4. Meeting Matt

**Bonjour! (I think I spelled that right...)**

**I have been, yet again, pressurised into uploading as soon as is physically possible, then even sooner than that, so I am! Woo!**

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**Glassheart-x - I thought you would like that. I think that it suits you!**

**demonjazzi - Thanks!**

**To Kill A Blonde - Thank you!**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Meeting Matt**

**Fang's POV**

Well, I learned something extremely important today; you can say what you want about Maddie to her face or behind her back, and she will be fine. But do not say something about her Girls because she will crack a nut. Seriously. I almost didn't stop her from smashing that Chantelle chick a new one in fear for myself. But then I remembered that I was a big strong bird-kid and that I could easily take her. Not that I would, of course.

It took Maddie a while to cool off and at one point she punched me in the chest so hard that it bruised in minutes. She did calm down after that though, so I'm guessing she just wanted to blow off some steam.

But damn, that girl's got a good punch on her.

We were currently in the fourth lesson of the day, Maths. I honestly didn't know how people got through this much school. The longest I've been in school for is about two or three months. Unless you count the evil place I was born. Which I don't.

Maddie looked like she was about to lose it and she turned to me – We were able to convince the staff that I was some kind of helper person because Maddie had hurt her hand. To emphasise the point, she had wrapped a bandage around her wrist – and grabbed my arm. She looked pleadingly at me.

"Please Fang. Get me out of here." She begged. I looked around the room then vanished from everyone's sight. Maddie gasped slightly as everything blurred around us. We stood up and left the room. I thanked whoever was up there that the door was already open. We went down the stairs and into the sink area of the unisex toilets. She leaned her head on the top of the fountain shaped sink and closed her eyes.

"How did I ever do this before?" She groaned. "I'm so tired, and the day is only just half-way gone. Man, I miss sleeeeeeeep."

"It'll take you a while to get back into your old routine." I told her and she groaned again. One corner of my mouth turned upwards and I walked up to her. I laid my head down next to hers and looked at her face. She opened her eyes and focused them on mine.

"Hi." She said quietly.

"Hi." I replied. We just watched each other for a while, not really sure of what to do. Then someone cleared their throat behind us. We both stood up straight and looked at the entrance to see Paige standing there, leaning one shoulder against the wall. She gave us a weary smile and I took that as my incentive to give them some space.

"I'll be back upstairs." I said to Maddie. She nodded and I walked away. I obviously didn't leave them. It may not seem like it but us Bird-kids are pretty nosey.

Paige walked up to the sink that Maddie was still standing next to. She seemed shy in a way, and I could tell that it was uncomfortable, considering that they had been friends for all of their lives.

"Sorry." Maddie said quietly. Paige looked at her.

"Tell me what happened." Maddie's face crumpled slightly.

"Nana and Ebony were going to the Costa Blanca beach. They had only been living in Spain with Dad for a month and Ebony so desperately wanted to visit the beach. So they got into the car and they were on their way.

"As they drove a large van was a car behind them. Just as they turned on the road to get to the Costa Blanca the van pitched forwards and didn't stop in time. It slammed into the car in behind Nana's. Nana and Ebony would have been perfectly fine; they were a few metres away from the accident and they were in a pretty sturdy car. But the car behind them had a boot full of petrol cans..."

There was a pause.

"Ebony? As in, your adopted Sister?" Paige asked. Maddie nodded and I saw the pain in her eyes.

"Did they... Die?" Paige sounded hesitant, but ready to comfort when needed. Maddie nodded again.

"Yeah." Her voice was husky with held-back tears.

"Ebony was seven, wasn't she?"

"Six. Her birthday was in two days." I winced as her face crumbled again. "Pa couldn't handle it. He had this big house, perfect for an energetic child, and a relaxing woman, but then they were gone. It was... Strange. I have the last conversation that I had with Ebony saved on my phone. I used to record our phone calls because she would say the funniest things. She sounded so excited, Paige. She wanted so desperately to go to the beach. Do you wanna hear the weirdest part? I begged her not to go. It's as if I could sense something bad was going to happen. But she just told me I was being jealous because I couldn't go then hung up. She didn't even say bye." Her voice cracked at the last word and Paige was there in an instant, holding her friend close and rubbing her back. Maddie pulled away after awhile and looked at Paige, a small smile gracing her face.

"Don't, you will make me cry. My Make-up will go everywhere." Maddie sniffled. They both gave a small laugh and looped their arms together.

"Can you do me a favour?" Maddie asked and Paige nodded. "Can you tell the others? I don't think I can say it again."

"Sure. But only if you do me a favour." Paige replied and Maddie looked at her questioningly. "Don't leave us again. We all took it pretty rough. And like I said earlier, I thought that Lewis had done something to you."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Maddie said bashfully.

"Does he know you're back yet?"

"I don't think so. But he will soon."

"What are you going to do when he does?" Paige asked. Maddie looked away with a shrug. "Look, you need to stop putting yourself on the line now. Erin is completely safe. She got away. So if Lewis tries to contact you, you ring the Police. O.K?"

"This isn't just about Erin anymore, Paige. Just before I went to Spain, he started... Threatening me with your safety. And Roses. Then my Mum's. Even Ebony's at one point. He's the leader of big Gang, Paige. He has people in every city, and every town. Hell, he even has members in America and the rest of Europe. I can't risk it. Besides, he might not contact me, so we don't know yet. I'll know what to do when and if the time comes. So chill. I'm back and ready to whip this school back into shape. You gonna help me?" Paige sighed and looked Maddie in the eyes. She was caught up by her Bambi eyes, which easily rivalled Nudge's.

"Yeah, if I must." Paige replied, feigning reluctance.

"You must!" Maddie said enthusiastically. They both laughed, their arms still looped in each other's as they made their way back to class.

**(LIIIINEEEY IS LE OOOOPEERRAAA SINGERRRR!) (LIIIINEEEY IS LE OOOOPEERRAAA SINGERRRR!)**

"Good Lord..." Maddie mumbled as we walked into the cafeteria at lunch. I'm pretty sure that there was a British word for cafeteria, but I had no idea what it was.

"What?" I asked. I was on the edge about this 'Lewis' person after hearing Maddie and Paige talk about him.

"I would hide if I were you." She replied. I frowned slightly.

"Why?" Man of words, that's me.

"There's a bunch of whores, two o'clock, looking around. Word about you must have gotten around. Why the Hell do you just allow everyone to know about your wings?" She turned to me at the last question and I just shrugged. She rolled her eyes and continued walking. "Anyway, they're gonna latch themselves onto you. You might wanna try to avoid them."

"Right." I agreed. We skimmed past the group of girls as quickly as possible. As we approached the tables I saw Paige and Rose already sitting at a table. Rose saw us and stood up, frantically waving her hand at us. Maddie rolled her eyes but she was smiling. She looked so happy.

"We kept the seating plan!" Rose said excitedly as we got to the table.

"Seating plan?" I asked.

"Yeah," Maddie replied. She sat down next to Paige. "It is always this table or the one in front. I sit at the part were two tables connect, then my bag goes on my left. But considering your here, I'll let you take my bag's seat."

"Oh, how nice of you." I mumbled sarcastically as I sat down next to her. She ignored me.

"Then Paige sits on my left. Heather is on her other side, but she doesn't usually stay long. Erin sits diagonally from me. Her bag never touches the ground, it's always on the chair to the left of Devan, who sits next to her. Rose sits next to Erin too and Joe next to her, facing Paige, who isn't usually too thrilled about that."

"Why not?" I asked. Paige leaned back slightly so that she could look at me.

"Because he's an Ass. I'm surprised Maddie even bothered with him to be honest. I wouldn't have."

"Liar. You think he's Smexy!" Maddie hollered and Rose giggled. Paige scowled at her.

"Right, like you think Fang is Smexy." Paige countered. Maddie's eyes widened and she blushed, but then she collected herself and planted a smirk on her face.

"Oh yes." She said sweetly. Paige seemed confused and she opened her mouth to say something but Joe and Devan were approaching the table so she closed it again. Maddie took that as a triumph and grinned. The two boys sat down exactly where Maddie said they would. A while after that I noticed that one gap had yet to be filled. Maddie had noticed too.

"Where's Erin?" She asked slowly, looking at the others. They were instantly on edge. Maddie narrowed her eyes and slowly pushed her chair back and stood up. She put her palms on the table and leaned on them.

"Where. Is. She?" Maddie's voice was a no-nonsense tone that demanded authority and easily received it. They all nervously looked at each other.

"You aren't going to like it." Paige said, seemingly the only one that wasn't scared of Maddie at this moment in time. Hell, even I was intimidated.

"Where!" She demanded. Paige flinched slightly and closed her eyes. When she opened them again they were focused on the floor.

"She's behind the Drama Block." She mumbled.

"Why the Fuck is she behind the-" Maddie stopped mid-sentence and her eyes widened. She looked at the all once more before running out of the closest door and across the school yard. I was the first to get up and follow, and the others were close behind. As we neared the Drama Block the distinct taste of Smoke filled the air. Then it all clicked.

Maddie and I skidded around the corner at the same time. Erin was there and as soon as she saw us she dropped the Cigarette in her hand and put her foot on it.

"Shit!" She swore. Maddie looked furious. She had some serious Mother Bear issues.

"What the Fuck do you think you're doing?!" She shrieked. She stormed up to Erin and stood in front of her.

"Why the Fuck did you tell her?!" Erin asked the others.

"She is bloody terrifying!" Joe exclaimed, waving his hands around.

"Answer me!" Maddie yelled at Erin. Paige stepped forward and put an arm on Maddie's shoulder.

"Honey, calm down." She murmurs. Maddie whips around and looks at Paige.

"Calm down? Calm down?! No way! I personally know the consequences of this and I will not let her reap them." Maddie snapped and then it was my turn to be angry.

"What do you mean you 'personally know the consequences'?" I asked slowly, taking a step towards Maddie. She frowned for a moment then her eyes widened and she looked up at me, much like a deer in the headlights. I'm pretty sure that I looked threatening, considering that I could see Joe and Devan buck up from the corner of my eye as I loomed over Maddie.

"Uh..." She stumbled at first but then her face hardened. "It's none of your God damned business!"

"Oh, it is." I said calmly.

"Oh really? Because your my 'Bodyguard'? Fuck off, Fang." She flicked her hand in dismissal and I grabbed it. Devan and Joe both took a step forwards but Maddie stopped them with a look.

"No, because I care." I told her. She scoffed and glared up at me.

"Right..." She said sarcastically. I leaned down and put my face close to hers. Our noses were touching and our lips were millimetres away. Maddie's eyes were wide with surprise, but they were blazing. I had obviously hit a touchy subject.

"Tell me, right now, to leave. Tell me to go. Do it. Now."

Maddie glared up at me but she didn't move.

"No." She replied. I watched her for a moment before letting her hand go.

"Everyone needs to calm down." I said slowly.

"I agree," Paige said, looking at me. "Maddie, Erin will talk to you in her own time. Erin, you're gonna hand over your Cigarettes and money." Erin began to protest but Maddie held up her hand in that no-nonsense way. When Erin was quiet again Maddie held her palm towards the darker girl. Erin gritted her teeth but reached into her blazer pocket and took out two Cigarettes and a packet and dropped them in Maddie's hand. Then she gave her a ten pound note. Maddie gave a small laugh.

"Don't think that I forgot about your secret hiding place. I'm not stupid, even I put money down there." Erin huffed and reached through a gap in the buttons of her shirt and pulled out two twenties. I was confused for a moment but I soon realised that the hiding place was the bra, which every girl uses.

"Thank you." Maddie said. She looked at the Cigarettes for a moment before shaking her head. She turned and looked at the fence that surrounded the back of the school. She threw the pack around in her hand for a moment before pulling it back then lobbing it over the fence and then some. Erin made a loud irritated noise. Maddie stashed the money away then turned back to Erin.

"Now then, I'm hungry. Who wants food?" Maddie said casually and everyone agreed as though all of that hadn't just happened. Even Erin had a smile on her face.

"Hey, is that you guys?" A male voice filtered around the corner of the Drama Block and everyone but mine and Maddie's faces paled. Paige turned to Maddie quite urgently. A guy came around the corner of the building and looked at us. He seemed fine until his eyes landed on Maddie. His smile turned into a glare. She instantly responded, but I could tell that she had no clue who this Douche was.

"What're you doing here?" He sneered. She stepped in front of Erin and even pulled Rose behind her too, as if this guy was a threat, but I've got to tell you, there was something about him that was putting me on edge too.

"You know, hanging. Like your God damned intestines are gonna be if you don't tell me who you are." Maddie replied icily.

"I'm Matt. I'm guessing that you're Maddie, right?" He said her name like it hurt to be on his tongue for too long and I involuntarily stepped in front of her. "And this is Fang. This just completes the whole Fucking circle!"

"Maddie, we're sorry, but he was new and he didn't know anyone so we let him into the group." Rose said.

"He's an Ass!" Maddie yelled.

"Not to us." Joe murmured and Maddie shot him a look.

"I have no reason to be horrible to you." Matt told Joe and Maddie narrowed her eyes and stepped around me and got right in his face.

"Give me one reason as to why you hate me so," Maddie growled. Matt glared down at her but didn't respond. "Exactly. I am so done with this, I'm going to get some food." She cast a final look to Matt before stomping up to Erin and dragging her to the lunch hall. We all obediently followed, par Matt, who just glared at Maddie's retreating back. I, on the other hand, was taking great pleasure in watching my new discovery of Maddie's hips swinging from side to side as she walked.

Hormones.

* * *

**Well, that was eventful...**

**Just so you know, I'm changing my pin name. I don't know what it will be yet, so don't ask.**

**Reviews have been getting better, so cool dat!**

**I hope you enjoyed!**

**R&R?!**


	5. The First Flight

**Hiya! Oh God... Sorry about that...**

**To Kill A Blonde - They will be in here towards the middle of the Fic, which won't be for a while.**

**imaddictedtocarrots - Thanks!**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

**Chapter Five: The First Flight**

**Paige's POV**

After Monday the rest of the week went by pretty un eventfully. Maddie would be in a bad mood sometimes, especially when Matt was around or if Erin suspiciously smelt like Cigarette smoke, but Fang would just say something, anything, and she would be O.K again. I could see something there, but I wasn't sure yet. Besides, wasn't he with that Max chick? I wouldn't really know, I don't avidly follow the books like Maddie and Heather do.

By the end of the week Maddie had kind of gotten used to school again, though she was knackered. She had threatened Matt on a daily bases, and to be honest, I couldn't blame her. Matt was a true Bastard. I never wanted anything to do with him, but Devan and Rose are way too sympathetic, Joe is a push-over, and Erin thought that he was 'Bang-able'. I had a weird feeling about him, he didn't seem trustable, he was always casting suspicious looks over everyone, and he asked way too many questions about Maddie, especially considering he hated her. And that was weird too, he hated her for no apparent reason. I mean, I know that Maddie can be… Hard to handle at times, but she definitely wasn't a hateable person. Unless you were a gold-digging whore, then, well…

Fang had instantly gotten into the routine of school. He was even given a part-course in all of Maddie's classes. (We *cough* hacked into *cough* the school *cough* mainframe.) He became quite good friends with Devan and Joe. They liked a lot of the same things, and Devan liked having someone that was as tall as he was around. Fang was different, to say the least. I'm just going to say this bluntly; he is hot. Every girl thinks so, even Samantha, who is a lesbian, was drooling over him. Most of the guys would hate him – Until they met him. He had this charm about him, he was hard to hate. He has a smirk that makes you want to smile forever. His hair is annoyingly perfect. His eyes are an amazing colour, and I know for a fact that Maddie just can't resist them. He face is chiselled and bloody perfect in all of the most irritating ways. But do you want to know what tops it all off?

He has an eight pack.

Oh yeah. Eight. Not six. EIGHT! I mean, I'm pretty neutral when it comes to these things, as is Maddie, but my God… It was in P.E. Maddie wanted to play badminton but none of us would play with her, because she always beats us. Even Devan, who is the height of African athletics. Fang said he would play against her and she accepted, never one to drop a challenge. Fang walked onto the court stood on his side, and pulled his shirt off. All of the girls' jaws dropped instantly. Maddie couldn't tear her eyes away from him. I had to walk up and shake her awake again because Fang was starting to get cocky about it. But halfway through their game, we started to notice that the gym was filling up. With girls. Word had gotten around and all of the girls were desperately trying to get out of their classes to get a look. I think some of it had to do with the fact that he had his wings out too. He didn't seem to mind. Until the gym was completely full, people watching the match mostly just for him. Maddie was starting to get worn out, but she wouldn't give up, oh no. Fang even started to pant at one point. I walked up to Maddie whilst they were having a break and whispered in her ear. Maddie laughed at my idea and rubbed her hands together evilly. She left for a minute and when she came back she had changed out of her hoodie and joggers into some fitness shorts and a vest top. She got everyone's attention. Including Fang's. Let's get one thing straight O.K; her bust was too big for that shirt. It was like we were charming snakes. The guys' eyes were intently on Maddie's chest and the girls' were on Fang's. Maddie had one problem though. She had to hold an arm over her chest to... Well… I think you can guess.

Fang won, obviously, but only just. Maddie wasn't a sore loser, because she knew she wouldn't win anyway, considering that Fang's a super amazing Bird-kid. She did have a problem with the girls that were trying to get Fang's attention though.

But that doesn't matter right now, what matters is me, packing all of the stuff I need for the sleepover. We had just finished school and Maddie – Well, her Mum – was going to drive us to our houses then straight back to hers, but she found out in form room that gymnastics was open on Fridays after school, and she didn't want to miss out, so we all decided to walk home – Par Erin who had to wait behind with Maddie because she would usually get a taxi. I had to run home and quickly shove as many things into my bag as possible. I made a quick check of everything;

Laptop and charger? Yup.

Make-up/toiletries bag? Yes.

Phone and charger? Check.

Maddie's present? Got it.

Clothes? M-hm.

Money for large shopping spree that I probably won't need money for because of Maddie's massive bank account? Check, lol.

Slip-

"Paige?" I jumped as someone spoke from behind me. I turned around and saw Fang standing in the doorway of my room.

"How the Hell did you get in here?" I asked, holding a hand over my heart.

"Uh, your Sister let me in." He replied. I closed my eyes in irritation for a moment.

"Urhg! Morgan!" I yelled. I heard giggling.

"It was Bethany!" She shouted back. I threw my hands up. I give up. Fang smiled slightly but he soon turned serious again.

"I need to talk to you." He said. Paige frowned.

"Well, O.K. Come in," He stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him. "Aren't you supposed to be with Maddie?"

"I told her that I was going around to everyone to see if they were ready." He replied. I nodded slowly.

"O.K. So why are you really here and why did you have to make excuses?" I asked. Fang rubbed the back of his neck with his hand awkwardly.

"Well, I need to ask you a question." He said.

"About..?" The word stretched out to show that I was waiting.

"Lewis." My face dropped and I stepped back. Why do I say now?

"We don't have enough time."

"I told Maddie to come here last because you had to wait for your Sisters' babysitter."

"Oh."

"Tell me." His voice was demanding but not in a way that was obnoxious or made me guarded, which was annoying because it compelled me to tell him. I was pretty much cornered with this one and I could see no way to escape his questioning. I sighed.

"O.K, fine," I mumbled quietly. I looked up at him. "This is how it all started..."

**Maddie's POV**

"Get the Hell out of my way!" I yelled at Joe as he blocked my way playfully. He laughed at me then finally moved so that I could get out of the car. I had been squeezed in the back with Devan, Erin and Joe, which was stupid because Rose was the smallest out of all of us but she got shot gun. Whatever.

I stepped out of the car and walked up to Paige's house. I knocked on the door and clasped my hands behind my back as I waited. I heard Paige yelling and some smaller voice scream back at her. Two sets of young feet pounded towards the door and as soon as it was open I was bombarded by children.

"Hey guys!" I greeted. Morgan and Bethany looked up at me and grinned then ran back inside. I shook my head slightly then walked in and saw Fang in the living room. He walked up to me.

"Where the Hell you been?" I asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Helping Paige with her Sisters. They are a lot of work." He said.

"Yeah, I used to babysit with her when her Dad was at work. It was pretty awful, to tell you the truth. Morgan had a bad habit of opening the front door and then just standing there in her nappy."

"Her nappy? How old were you guys then?" Fang asked.

"Paige and I were about eleven. Bethany was four-ish and Morgan was two." Fang raised an eyebrow but I shook it off.

"Paige you Whore Bag, you got all your Shitty Shit together yet?!" I yelled up the stairs.

"Shut up Maddie you Sket Face!" She called back. I snorted.

"That the best you got?! I'mma throw you in the Skank Tank!" I heard a bang then Paige stood at the top of the stairs, her arms out beside her.

"Come at me Bro!" She challenged.

"Oh, there will be plenty of that tonight." I said sexually.

"Oh, I cannot wait." She replied and went back in her room. I looked at Fang who seemed really confused.

"What just happened?" He asked. I laughed.

"Maddie, can you take the Girls over to Mrs. Tensest for meh?" Paige called down.

"No way, you aren't putting them in her custody are you?" I asked, appalled. That Woman was an old cow.

"I had no other choice."

"Right." I murmured. I looked in the plastic bag that I was carrying and grinned.

"Morgan! Bethany!" I called. They both skidded to a halt in front of me.

"Yes?"

"You two need to go over there now." I told them. They groaned. I hushed them with my hand then reached into the bag. I pulled out two, massive lollipops that I had bought for them in Spain. I was just going to give them the Candy as a present, but now they were perfect for bribery. They both gasped as they saw the lollipops and rushed forwards to get them. I lifted them out of their reach.

"Uh-uh-uh! Go on." I pointed at the door. They huffed but marched out and across the road to Mrs. Tensest's house. They opened the door and stood in the margin as they turned around and faced me. I got down to their level and held the sweets out. They took them from me, and I was glad, for Paige's sake, that they said thank you.

"You best start being good for your Sister, and there will be more where they came from," I said. They nodded their heads vigorously and moved to go into the house but I stopped them. "Give Mrs. Temper-mental Hell. I don't like her either." They nodded again. I closed the door behind them and rushed away before the Old Hag could come out and start nagging me about 'teenagers these days'.

As I got to the car Paige was coming out of her house and locking the door. Fang took her bag**_s_**, yes, two, to the car and put them in the boot.

"They go over O.K?" Paige asked.

"I managed to convince them." I said cryptically. She narrowed her eyes at me then moved to the car. She got in where I was and I realised the problem.

"Ah, we didn't think this through."

"That isn't like you." Fang mumbled sarcastically and I glared at him like he had to me at McDonalds.

"Um..." Paige's voice trailed away.

"I have an idea, but you may not like it." Fang said. I looked at him.

"What?" I asked tentatively. He wrapped his arms around my waist and said, "Hold on." Then next thing I knew, we were at least sixty feet in the air and rising. I couldn't even scream it was that surprising. I got over my initial shock quite quickly and was soon grinning like a total loony. It was amazing. I mean, yeah, it was terrifying, but I was pretty sure that Fang wouldn't drop me and the thrill of being up so high with only his wings to support us was pretty, well, thrilling. Fang was chuckling lightly and I realised that I had a death grip on his arm. I loosened up my hold on him then tightened it again as I looked down. Fang laughed and leaned his face down next to mine.

"I've got you, don't worry." He said in my ear and the warmth of his breath finally made me notice how cold it was up here. I looked down again and saw that we were coasting over my neighbourhood. We were slowly getting closer to the ground and I could finally make out my house. As we got to ground level Fang pulled us up horizontally and we landed standing up.

"Bloody Hell." I murmured as Fang let go of me. I turned to look at him and ran my fingers through my fringe to right it. He shook his own hair back into place as I marvelled at it. Anyway.

"That was quick." I was said. I heard him mumble; "That's what she said." But I chose to ignore it. I walked into the house and looked around.

"Where's James?" I asked.

"He's at the Farm doing my job for now. We're do you think I've been staying?" He replied and I nodded. I walked through the living room and up the stairs to my room. I opened the door and held it open as I waited for Fang to walk in. He sat on my bed as I shut the door.

"Can you give me a hand getting all of the stuff out?" I asked him. He gave me a blank look that obviously meant he couldn't be asked so I gave him the Bambi eyes. His own eyes widened slightly and he nodded. I beamed at him and skipped to the wardrobe. I opened the door and looked at the big pile of presents that was laid out. I tapped my chin.

"Actually, I'll leave these in here. Yeah, they can open them in here. Turns out that you stood up for nothing." I turned to face him and he stuck his tongue out. It was such an unusual thing for him to do that I gigged. Like, actually _giggled._ He smiled at that and I felt my face heat up.

"I hope that we aren't interrupting anything." Joe said from the door way and I jumped away from Fang slightly. I shook my head and they all poured into my room.

"Put all of your stuff in the corner and we can put it in my wardrobe later." I told them.

"Had your room re-done?" Paige asked. I nodded and indicated to Fang with my head.

"Him and Mum did it. She said that James helped but I don't believe her." I said. Fang chuckled and sat back down on my bed. The guys joined him and they started talking about video games, which was the only 'guy thing' that Fang cared for. Well, the only guy thing that they could talk about around us Girls.

"Maddie, is that what I think it is?" I heard Rose ask from behind me. I turned to see what she was talking about and nodded.

"That is beautiful!"

"What is it?" Erin asked as she peeked around me.

"It my new acoustic guitar. It sounds amazing, but I'd be screwed if I knew how to use it." I said. Erin snorted.

"Girl, you can play any musical instrument. You and music is like... Heather and books. Or, Paige and Oreos."

"I guess..." I murmured. I pulled my IPod out of my school bag and plugged it into my stereo. I scrolled through my playlists and was about to play one when I looked back at everyone. Ah.

You see, we all loved music, it was our favourite thing. But we liked different types. Erin liked a lot of rap and *shudder* Nicki Minaj. Rose liked very slow songs, and artists with unique voices. Joe calls his music. 'Gangsta', I guess that you can figure that out... Devan likes African music, and any song with a good beat and great bass line, which is a lot like me. Paige and I favour... Well, I guess you could call it metal. We like bands like Paramore, Panic! At The Disco (Though I only like one of their songs) Hoobastank (Paige doesn't like them though), Asking Alexandria, Falling in Reverse, Green Day, you know, bands like that. And, yeah, we all like some of each other's favourite songs, but we hate others. It had never been an issue before but now that we were so varied and all in the same room with my high-tech, loud as a whale speakers, we were kinda in a predicament. Then I realised that I didn't know what kind of music Fang liked. I grinned then rushed up at him. I bent over (Heads out of the gutter please...) and leaned my hands on his knees.

"What kind of music do you like, Fang?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Metal, I guess." He replied. Joe slapped his leg and gave Paige a fiver. As did everyone else but Fang and I.

"Did you guys make a bet on what music Fang likes?" I asked. They all nodded with a grumble par Paige who was grinning cockily. I rolled my eyes then returned them to Fang. "Gimme a few bands."

"I don't know. Here." He passed me is IPod and I scrolled through the playlists. I raised my eyebrows at one song.

"Why the in Hell do you have a Justin Beiber song on your IPod?" I asked. I saw a shadow of pain flash over his face but he soon wiped it away.

"Ange and Lambi put on there. I didn't get rid of it 'cause, you know..." His voice trailed away and I gave him a sympathetic smile. I looked around and saw that everyone had started up conversations of their own. I leaned close and whispered in his ear.

"I know what it's like, Fang. I still have all of the songs that Ebony downloaded onto my IPod. I will never get rid of them. Hell, I even listen to them sometimes." I leaned back again and he gave me a small smile. Then he did something that shocked me. He hugged me. I was so surprised that my knees bent, but before I could fall Fang pulled me onto his lap. My cheeks reddened and, in quite a haze, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him back.

"Thanks." He murmured in my ear. I smiled at the wall and let out a silent Fangirl scream. But I'm just too smooth so I whispered back.

"Any time." Of course my suavity was almost shattered when Joe whistled from behind me. I think that I would have normally jumped away from Fang and blushed like a school girl, but Fang was comfy and I wanted to hold onto at least some of my dignity. So I just rolled my eyes and lifted Fang's IPod up.

"Plug this in and give us some tunes!" I hollered. The Girls cheered and a moment later there was music blasting out around us. I smiled and went to move off Fang's lap but he suddenly gripped my arm and held me where I was.

"You O.K?" I asked him. He wouldn't look at me and he looked like he wanted to say something. He didn't. He let go of my arm slowly and I watched him for a moment. His face was impassive but his eyes were pained and he wouldn't look at me. I leaned down and pressed my lips against his forehead. His eyes snapped up to mine and he frowned in confusion.

"I have a particular greeting with each of my Girls and Guys. Devan and I kiss each other's cheek. Paige and I insult each other. Joe and I make innuendos. Erin and I will make fun of someone we don't like then high-five. And I ruffle Rose's hair," I paused for a moment and smiled. "That can be our thing. We can kiss each other's forehead." Fang smiled and reached up and lightly put his lips on my forehead. He smiled at me again and I blushed slightly.

"Thanks. Again," Fang said. "It's nice to feel like part of your family."

"You're definitely part of our family." I murmured happily. He grinned.

"Finally! We can give him the proper Family Christening!" Joe yelled and the others hooted. Fang looked amused and scared at the same time. Well, it won't take us long to wipe the smirk of his face...

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**I love you all!**

**Please review!**

**And Fang says hello! (I keep him tied up under my bed. It actually sounds more like a muffled cry for help. but I'm sure he's just greeting you all!)**

**R&R?!**


	6. Deep Throat Competition

**Hi. Sorry that it took so long to get this up.**

**Glassheart-x - Hi. Thanks.**

**Paigeeeesaurus - Dude, I will smash you up!**

**Ciciostigin - Thanks!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Deep Throat Competition**

**Maddie's POV**

"O.K, I'll start!" I said excitedly. We were sitting in a circle around a notepad and pen for noting down penalties and scores. We were playing the Ultimate Family Christening Truth or Dare with Fang to introduce him to our traditions. I could tell straight away that he didn't like Truth or Dare, but we didn't play whimsy games, oh no...

"Rose, Truth or Dare?" She groaned.

"Truth." She said and Erin scoffed.

"Pussy!" She hollered.

"Uh, O.K..." I said, thinking about my question. "You had your first kiss yet?" That may sound pathetic, but Rose is extremely innocent and I didn't want to ruin that.

"No." She mumbled. Erin was trying to hold in her laughter. "Paige, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare. Duh." She replied.

"Right... I dare you to... soak a tampon in Blackcurrant Juice and throw it out of the window at someone." Paige grinned evilly and walked up to window. I, quite conveniently, had a glass of juice on my bedside so I gave it to Paige and ran into the bathroom. I rushed back out with a few tampons, being careful to hide them from the guys. My window faced my back garden and there was no one opposite me but we could see over the fence and into my neighbour, Mr. Matthews' garden. Were he was currently sitting outside on a lawn chair, reading the newspaper. I told everyone to come and watch as Paige dipped the first one in the juice. She lifted it up, pulled her arm back and lobbed it at Mr. Matthews. It hit his newspaper and he shot up and looked around. We all ducked down. I waited for a moment before looking up. He wasn't facing us so I quickly grabbed a tampon, as did Paige, and we threw them at him at the same time. He turned around just as they hit him. Mine got him square in the chest and Paige's hit his face. As he saw what they were he started to freak out. After a while he looked up at us started to go nuts. I pushed everyone away as we laughed our asses off.

"That was a great Dare, Rose!" Erin said, giving the smallest girl a high-five.

"Joe, Truth or Dare?" Paige asked. Joe looked hesitant but un willing to give in his man card.

"Dare."

"I Dare you to try to seduce Devan." She said evilly.

"Fine..." Joe crawled closer to Devan how tried to shuffle away. Joe put a hand on his chest. "Oh Devan. Aren't you looking fine today? Yes. Mmmm, all that chocolaty goodness. I want you to fill me all up with your-"

"O.K! O.K! That's enough!" Paige yelled covering her ears. I was in hysterics, as were Erin and Fang. Well, as much into hysterics as Fang can get.

"Right, Maddie, Truth or Dare?" Joe asked as he sat back in his place.

"Dare." I replied instantly. He tapped his chin then his eyes widened and he whispered to Devan. Devan nodded then told Fang. Fang raised an eyebrow then a slow smirk spread across his lips. He nodded then looked at me. I groaned and put my fingers on my forehead. What was it gonna be..?

"I Dare you to have a Deep-Throat competition with the girls." Joe exclaimed. My jaw dropped, as did the Paige, Erin and Rose's.

"What?!" I shrieked.

"Do it!" Devan yelled. I face-palmed but nodded. I would rather do the Dare than face the penalties.

"O.K. Hang on." I left the room and when I came back a few minutes later I had a bunch of bananas in my hand. Rose cringed and Erin seemed exited. But not as excited as the guys were. Joe was practically salivating and we hadn't even started yet. I sat back down and gave the girls a banana each. Paige eyed hers then looked at me. I shrugged.

"Erin, you go first." I told her. She nodded and peeled her banana. She pulled all of the skin off then looked the fruit over. She put a bit in her mouth then slowly pushed it further in. She gagged once as it touched the back of her throat but then it went the rest of the way smoothly. She pulled it back out and smiled at us. I gave her a high-five then pointed at Rose. The smallest of us looked like she would rather be anywhere else right now, but she peeled the banana anyway. I'm not gonna go into detail but let's just say that she has a very effective gag reflex, and I am lucky that I have my own bathroom.

Paige went next and as she started to slowly put the fruit in her mouth I snuck a glance at Joe. His eyes were wide and tracking Paige very carefully. That boy was obsessed with her. And she pretty much hated him. Woo, tension! I LOVE IT!

The banana slipped down Paige's throat with ease and came out just the same. She stuck her tongue out at me and I shot her a very sexual look. We laughed until she threw the last banana on my lap. I looked down at it. To be perfectly honest, I didn't know what my gag reflex would be like, it wasn't like I had ever done it before. I slowly pulled the skin off then inspected the squishy fruit. I looked at the guys who were watching me avidly. I sighed then put the tip (Minds out of the gutters. Again) against my lips. I cringed at the taste, I didn't really like the flavour, as I started to push the banana into my mouth. I closed my eyes as it went down my throat and was then amazed that I didn't gag. I took a strange sense of pride in this and pushed it all of the way in, then pulled it back out slowly. I smiled when I was finished. Then I had an idea. I watched a gif once with some girl deep-throating a ice-lolly, and pulling it off the stick and swallowing the whole thing. Oh yeah, that was what I was going to do. I put it back in my mouth and back down my throat. I bit the end that I was holding off then swallowed the rest. It was easy. I opened my eyes and looked around. The Girls looked impressed. The Guys... Well, even Fang's eyes were wide, and his mouth was hanging open. I grinned and threw all of the used fruit in the bin.

"Right..." Joe mumbled.

"Devan, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth..." He mumbled.

"Uh, is it true that you fingered Melisa in the disabled toilet at the Halloween disco?" I asked. He made a choking noise and Erin's jaw dropped. He nodded and the rest of us bust a gut laughing.

"Lol." I murmured.

"Fang, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare." He replied instantly. Dean nodded thoughtfully, then conferred with Joe, who talked to Rose, who turned to Erin, who told Paige. I was waiting for them to say something to me. But they didn't. That instantly meant that I was involved.

"Fang. We dare you to sleep with Maddie." Devan said. I sucked in a breath and started to cough and gag as I breathed in my own saliva. Gross, I know.

"What?!" Fang exclaimed.

"No, no, no!" Paige said suddenly, waving her hands around. "He means he dares you two to sleep in the same bed for the night, not actually... You know, **_sleep together_**." I struggled to regulate my breathing and when I did I leaned across and slapped Devan as hard as I could. He yelped and flinched away.

"Fucking Shithead! I thought you meant that you want me to screw him!" I shrieked. I coughed as I felt my stomach flip and my lungs complain. I rubbed my forehead then laid on my back on the floor.

"You O.K?" Fang asked me. I nodded and patted my chest a few times. When I sat back up I shot Devan a glare. He avoided eye contact. I looked over at Fang.

"You alright with this?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He replied. I nodded.

"Right. Of course. Yeah. Fang, it's your turn." I mumbled.

"O.K. Maddie, Truth or Dare?" He said. I face-palmed, knowing that I should have seen that coming.

"Didn't I literally only just go? Uh, Dare." I groaned.

"I dare you to sing for us."

That, my friends, is how you silence a room.

"Your Mum told me that you used to sing all the time. And Paige told me that you sound great. But I haven't heard you yet." Fang explained. I looked at the floor then back at him.

"I haven't sung in nearly two years. At least, not in front of anyone else." I said quietly.

"It's O.K, it's only us." He said. I sighed and considered taking the penalty, but that would probably be pretty painful and include a lot of pictures that will end up on Facebook, so...

"Pick a song then." I muttered. Fang looked at Paige who thought for a moment.

"I Will Follow You Into the Dark." She said. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment before reopening them and nodding.

"Who can play guitar?" I asked.

"Me." My head snapped to the right and my eyebrows shot up. Fang can play the guitar?

**Fang's POV**

"Really?" Maddie asked, seemingly quite surprised. I nodded and indicated for her to pass me her guitar. She watched me for a moment before reaching over and lifting it of its stand. When she gave it to me and I sat it nicely on my lap, I felt the Girls' eyes on me. I looked up at them.

"What?" I asked.

"Girls like a guy that can play guitar." Joe said. I just rolled my eyes.

"Does anyone have the tabs?" Paige nodded and pulled her phone out of her pocket. After a minute or two of searching she pulled the guitar tabs for the song up on her screen and passed me her phone. I scanned over the music for a moment before practicing the cords. I think I heard one of the Girls mumble something like: "Ermagerd." But I wasn't sure.

"O.K, I've got it. You want me to count you in?" I asked. Maddie looked at me and nodded shyly. I didn't know why she was so hesitant. She sat up straight and nodded at me. I hit my thumb on the wood of the guitar as I counted down from five. I started up the intro.

(If you want to listen to the song, I recommend that you go onto you tube and search for the Jayme Dee cover. I used her version of the song as inspiration, so please listen to that one. Besides, the original is pretty crap, no offense to the guy...)

_Love of mine some day you will die  
But I'll be close behind  
I'll follow you into the dark_

As she started to sing goose bumps rose on my skin. I snuck a look at the others and saw that they were as shocked as I was.

_No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white  
Just our hands clasped so tight  
Waiting for the hint of a spark  
If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs_

Her voice was sweet but I could hear that note of passion underneath.

_If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark_

If she got the right song I recon she would sound something like Christina Aguilera

_In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule  
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black  
And I held my tongue as she told me  
"Son fear is the heart of love"  
So I never went back_

She had her eyes closed with sheer passion and her face was so serene.

_If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs_

It was amazing.

_If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark_

It was... Beautiful.

_You and me have seen everything to see  
From Bangkok to Calgary  
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down  
The time for sleep is now  
It's nothing to cry about  
'Cause we'll hold each other soon  
In the blackest of rooms_

She opened her eyes and they were on me as her voice raised for the end of the note.

_If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs_

Her eyes were lit up and I could see that this was who she really was. She was a singer. And she was beautiful

_If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark  
Then I'll follow you into the dark_

She finished the song with a long, held note that topped it all off perfectly. Her eyes were strangely light, but before I could make anything of it she blinked and it disappeared. I had to blink a few times as well, feeling like I was in a trance.

Rose and Erin had tears in their eyes, and there were a few stray drops running down their faces. Even Paige, who I had seen to be tough as nails, much like Maddie, had watery eyes. Erin ran her fingers under her eyes, careful to avoid smudging her make-up. Maddie frowned at them.

"What's wrong?" She asked, instantly worried. Jesus, she was as Mother-bear as Max- Look, Brain, I am getting kind of sick of this comparing girls crap.

"That was so amazing Maddie." Rose whispered.

"Your voice..." Erin sounded so quiet, which was a first for her as far as I've seen.

"It was amazing two years ago but this... this is so..." Paige couldn't find the right words, so I helped her out.

"Beautiful." I said. Maddie looked up at me and blushed profusely.

"Baby-girl, that is just ace. You have such talent, you should flaunt it. Don't ever, ever be embarrassed." Maddie gave a small nod of her head and looked at the floor.

"Erin, Truth or Dare?" She asked them.

"Dare, I guess." She mumbled. Maddie bobbed her head in thought, her hand on her chin.

"Mmn, I Dare you to get a piercing with me tomorrow." She said. Erin smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"What should I get?" Erin asked.

"A belly bar." Paige said.

"O.K then. Rose, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare..." Rose seemed hesitant but she obviously didn't want to look scared, so she went for it.

"Mkay, I Dare you to get a piercing as well." Erin replied excitedly. Rose paled and started to shake her head. Maddie moved to sit next to her and bumped their shoulders playfully.

"They don't hurt, I promise, and I should know, I got a tattoo too- Fuck." She sighed as the Girls' jaws fell. Maddie had been trying her best to keep it a secret from them because they had all promised to get their first tattoo together. But...

"Your what?!" Paige shrieked.

"Look guys-"

"Show us!" Erin said.

"No, come on-"

"Doggy pile!" Erin hollered. They pounced on Maddie and us guys could only watch as they pinned her arms and shoulders to the floor. They started to look at her legs and arms for it.

"Where is it?" Paige asked her and it was like an interrogation. Maddie stuck her tongue out like a child and then proceeded to get tickled. She giggled and bucked, with was... nice to watch, I suppose.

"Where?" Paige leant closer and put a hand on her ear.

"Go hump a Donkey." Maddie gasped out in-between breaths. Then there was a loud ripping sound. Maddie's laughter stopped abruptly and her jaw dropped.

"You didn't." She murmured. Erin held up Maddie's now torn shirt in one hand.

"Oops." She said 'innocently'.

"I've found it! Does that say Fang?" Paige asked.

"THAT IS IT!" Maddie shrieked. She moved like a pro. She pushed her knees underneath her waist and used them to push herself up and backwards. Of course, the Girls were on top of her, so she took them with her. When they all scrambled up Maddie chased them out of her bedroom door and across the landing. The Girls fled down the stairs and Maddie stood at the top.

"Yeah Bitches! What were you saying?! Huh? Come at me!" She held her arms out then noticed that she was only wearing a bra and covered her chest with them quickly. She shot us a small smile then stormed down the stairs. This is what we heard next;

The slam of a door. More storming. Some squealing and screaming. A few thumps. Evil laughter that sounded like it came from Paige. Maddie yelling some very colourful and profane words. More thumps. Quick and quiet footsteps through the living room and up the stairs. As the Girls got to the bedroom the downstairs door slammed shut and Maddie stormed up behind them. She shot them all a glare and they promptly looked away. She went into her wardrobe and pulled out a new shirt.

"Right," she said calmly as she pushed her head through the neck hole. "Let us settle this. We are all, _all_, getting a tattoo tomorrow. O.K?"

"What, does that include me?" I asked. I still wasn't sure if I was part of their family yet.

"What did I tell you Fang?" Maddie said softly as she dropped down next to me. "You're one of us now. What we do, you do. What you do, we do. To an extent."

"Alright, cool." I agreed.

"Erin, rose and I are getting piercings-"

"I want one too!" Paige interrupted.

"Right, fine, yes. Are we all O.K now?" Maddie seemed mildly irritated, but I could see a hint of amusement underneath that.

"Do tattoos hurt?" Rose asked timidly.

"No." Maddie and I said at the exact same time. We exchanged a wary look.

"Weird." Joe said.

"You have a tattoo too?" Devan asked. I nodded and pulled my shirt over my head. Maddie looked away and I could see a red tint on her cheeks, and for some reason I liked that.

"It's on my left shoulder." Everyone but Maddie crowded around my back. I checked that no one was in the way before opening my left wings. I was guessing that everyone was looking at my wings because they hadn't started laughing at the fact I Maddie's last name printed into my skin forever. Well, until...

"Does that say Leo Pardus?" Rose asked, the innocence in her voice evident. I heard them trying to contain their laughter but it didn't last for long. I just sighed and pulled my shirt back on. Maddie sat next to me as the others rolled around on the floor, laughing their asses off. Maddie glared at them. I smirked and she bumped my shoulder with hers.

"Ignore them, I don't think that they even know what they're laughing about anymore." She said, a pearly white smile on her plump lips.

"So, what are you gonna get done tomorrow?" I asked as I put the guitar back on my lap, absentmindedly fiddling with the strings.

"I'm not sure. I might get a sleeve (as in the tattoo), like yours, but I'm not sure... As for a piercing, well, I don't have many more places to pierce without looking like a total whore. I already have a lip ring and a belly bar. What about you?" I shrugged.

"I don't know, what do think?"

"Hmm, well you could get a sleeve on your other arm, or extend the one you already have."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." I agreed. The others had calmed down by now and were, thankfully, leaving us alone. Maddie watched my fingers as they danced across the guitar strings.

"When did you learn to play?" she asked quietly, as if talking any louder would disturb everything. I looked at her.

"Jeb taught me." I said bitterly. Her eyes snapped up to mine. I feared that I would see pity there, but there was only understanding, which was a nice change. She moved to sit next to me and leaned against me. Just then the song on my iPod changed to Eminem, My Dad's Gone Crazy. Maddie cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Metal huh?" I gave her a small grin and started to strum the beat of the song. She rocked from side to side and singing/rapping along.

**_Maddie: O.K then! Everybody, listen up!  
_**_Joe: I'm goin' to Hell. Who's comin' with me?  
__**Maddie: Somebody, please, help him!**__  
Joe and Paige: There's no mountain I can't climb. There's no tower too high,  
No plane that I can't learn how to fly  
What do I gotta do to get through to you, to show you  
There ain't nothing I can't take this chainsaw to  
Fuckin' brain's brawn, and brass balls  
I cut 'em off, I got 'em pickled and bronzed in a glass jar  
Inside of a hall, with my framed autographed,  
Sunglasses with Elton John's name, on my drag wall  
I'm out the closet, I been lying my ass off  
All this time, me and Dre been Fucking with hats off  
__**Devan: Suck it Marshall**__  
Paige and Joe: So tell Laura and her husband to back off  
Before I push this Motherfucking button and blast off  
And launch one of these Russians, and that's all  
Blow every Fucking thing, except Afghanistan on the map, off  
When will it stop? When will I knock the crap off?  
Hailie, tell 'em baby  
__**Rose: My Dad's lost it!**__  
Paige and Joe: There's really nothin' else to say I, I can't explain it  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Paige and Joe: A little help from Hailie Jade won't you tell em' baby  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Paige and Joe: There's nothin' you could do or say that could ever change me  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Paige and Joe: There's no one on earth that can save me, not even Hailie  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Erin and Devan: It's like my Mother always told me  
Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana,  
and codeine and Goddamit, you little Motherfucker  
If you aint got nothin' nice to say then don't say nothin'  
uh..  
Fuck that shit, Bitch, eat a Motherfuckin' dick  
Chew on a prick, and lick a million Motherfuckin' cocks per second  
I'd rather put out a Motherfuckin' gospel record  
I'd rather be a Pussy-whipped bitch, eat Pussy  
And have Pussy-lips glued to my face with a Clit-ring in my nose  
Then quit bringin' my flows, quit giving me my ammo  
Can't you see why I'm so mean? if y'all leave me alone, this wouldn't be my  
m.o.  
I wouldn't have to go, eenie meenie minie mo  
Catch a Homo by his toe, man I don't know no more  
Am I the only Fuckin one who's normal anymore?  
__**Rose: Dad!**__  
Devan and Erin: There's really nothin' else to say I, I can't explain it  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Devan and Erin: A little help from Hailie Jade won't you tell em' baby  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Devan and Erin: Theres nothin' you could do or say that could ever change me  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Devan and Erin: There's no one on earth that can save me, not even Haillie  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Maddie: My songs can make you cry, take you by surprise  
And at the same time, make you dry your eyes with the same rhyme  
See what you're seeing is a genius at work  
Which to me isn't work, so it's easy to misinterpret it at first,  
'Cause when I speak, it's tongue in cheek  
I'd yank my Fuckin' teeth before I'd ever bite my tongue  
I'd slice my gums, get struck by Fuckin' lightning twice at once  
And die and come back as vanilla ice's son  
And walk around the rest of my life spit on  
And kicked and hit with shit, every time I sung  
Like R Kelly as soon as "Bump n' Grind" comes on  
More pain inside of my brain, than the eyes of a little girl inside of a  
plane  
Aimed at the World Trade, standin' on Ronnie's grave,  
Screaming at the sky, till clouds gather as Clyde Mathers and Bonnie Jade  
And that's pretty much the gist of it, Parents are pissed, but the kids love  
it  
Nine millimeter, heater stashed, in two-seaters with meat cleavers  
I don't blame you, I wouldn't let Hailie listen to me neither  
Maddie: There's really nothin' else to say I, I can't explain it  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Maddie: A little help from Hailie Jade won't you tell em' baby  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Maddie: There's nothin' you could do or say that could ever change me  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
Maddie: There's no one on earth that can save me, not even Hailie  
__**Rose: I think my Dad's gone crazy!**__  
All: Crazy!_

Maddie laughed as they all finished the song and I noticed the way her eyes, the colour of melted Belgian chocolate, twinkled, no matter what. As she looked at me I tried to make it seem like I wasn't just checking her out, but I don't think I did very well.

"Man, I think you can play anything on that thing." Devan said to me and I nodded.

"Yeah," Maddie said, her voice calculating in a way that made me look up at her sharply. "I bet he can too."

"Maddie, what are we doing for food?" Rose asked. Let me tell you, that girl was stick thin in a way that most people would see as anorexic, but don't be fooled, she eats as much as I do. No joke. Seriously, I don't know how she does it.

"What?" Maddie was snapped out of her daydream as Rose asked the question. "Uh, I'll order Pizza or something."

"I want a Donner!" Joe yelled and she slapped the back of his head as she walked to the door. I watched her all the way across the landing and until the stair guard hid her, once again noticing how her hips swing from side to side as she walks and-

"OW!" I yelped as Paige slapped my arm. I put my hand on it and glared at her. "What the Hell?"

"You wait 'til I tell her that you like to watch her. She'll never let you walk up the stairs behind her again." Paige said then leaned back and started talking to Erin. I rubbed my arm and glared at her, really hoping that she didn't tell Maddie.

* * *

**Sorry that it's crappy. I was watching Primeval New World and I cried because she died and he cried and they cried and I cried then he was all like 'I'mma kill that son of a biatch 'cause that biatch's biatch killed ma biatch!' and I was like 'NUUU!' But yeah. I cried. DON'T LOOK AT ME IKE THAT I AM AN EMOTIONAL TEENAGE GIRL AND I AM ALOUD TO CRY AT THESE THINGS11!1!1!ONEONEONE.**

**Fang: Right... This is what I have to deal with now...**

**Me: SHUT UP YOU WHORE!**

**R&R?!**


	7. Squirty Cream

**HIYAS!**

**Me: Fuck off Fang, making me look like some Edward-loving Pussy.**

**Fang: Oh how she loves him.**

**Me: The only Vampyre I love is Petey.**

**Fang: He isn't-**

**Me: Uh-huh! Have you not seen the Official 'A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me' video?**

**Fang: Well, yeah, but-**

**Me: Well then!**

**To Kill A Blonde - Thank you, I loved writing it.**

**Glassheart-x - One, Yes. Two, no. And three, I am not little.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Squirty Cream**

**Maddie's POV**

"Hey!" I snapped, slapping Joe's hand away from the pile of presents. We were all sitting in my wardrobe, looking at all of the wrapped-up parcels.

"I didn't think you actually got this many..." Paige mumbled. I smiled wide, all toothy, and nodded.

"Yup! You go first." I insisted. Paige leaned forwards and grabbed the closest package with her name on it. I smiled wider as I realised that this was her special gift. She carefully peeled the paper away and held up a black box, decorated with a dark pink trim and ribbon. She slowly, slowly pulled the ribbon lose and lifted the lid. A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips and she gently reached her fingers in and pulled out a thick silver chain with a ring hanging from it. The ring was just a plain silvery-gold colour that shone in the receding sunlight. Paige smiled so big that I was afraid that she was going to explode with all of the excitement. I pulled a necklace of my own up from under my dark grey shirt and held it up to the light. I had the exact same chain, silver and bulky, and a ring, but mine was black and grey, the dark shades crashing in dramatic swirls. They seemed to dance in the light, to a music that I'm sure no Human can hear, but the colours can. The rings can.

"Oh Maddie, you found it," Paige whispered. She looked up into my eyes and gave a small laugh. "You found it!" Paige threw herself into me and looped her arms around my neck, hugging me tight.

"Uh..." Rose hummed nervously. Paige pulled away and sat back in her place.

"We had these necklaces when we were born, our Fathers each gave us one, Jamie included. Yeah, I told you about him right? Yeah, I thought so. Anyway, I lost mine after... An accident. But she found it again. Where was it?"

"A place. Look, don't get all teary eyed with me because I will cry, and there is no need for my make-up to run now is there? No, we know how bad that would be." I said with a small laugh. Paige sniffled and wiped under her eyes before sitting up straight again and putting an emotionless mask over her face that could compete with Fang's.

"Right enough with the mushy shit. Guys, go for it." They all grinned and jumped at the pile. I leaned pack on my hands and watched them. Fang sat closer to me and looked at me, seemingly trying to keep his eyes on mine.

"You know what Fang?" I said it so suddenly that I almost made myself jump.

"What?" He asked and I looked at me.

"I'm glad that I had to spend those two years in Spain. Not just because it helped me with my tests, which it did, or because I was helping my Dad. It's because of who I am. I think that if I hadn't have spent those two years in with my Dad, I'd be a pretty different person, I wouldn't be who I am today, and, well, that would be a waste of an international treasure." Fang laughed, a real laugh that made him tip his head back. It looked good on him. As did no shirt, but...

"Omigod! How did you know what to get us?" Erin asked, holding up a black Hollister shirt with 'Legal-ish' written big in multi-colours. "I've wanted this shirt forever. And Joe has an obsession with those drum-sticks, he hasn't shut up about them. How did you know?" I leaned back even more and rested my head on my bed, wondering how badly this was gonna go.

"Facebook."

"Excuse me?" Paige said.

"I kept an eye on your Facebook profiles, reading your statuses and looking at your photos." I tried to make it sound like nothing, but...

"Stalker much?" Erin mumbled.

"Look, it was all I could do. And before you all start complaining at me, it was actually the only thing I could do, I couldn't contact you because the news reporters were trying to track us down and get the scoop on Dad, which I couldn't let happen."

"Alright, alright. Shut up before we get into another argument," Paige said, holding her hands up. "Can I use your laptop, I did bring mine but it takes forever to turn on?" I nodded at her and she sat in my comfy black chair. She must have guessed my password because she grinned and looked at me with the single most smug look ever.

"PeteyandFang3?" She asked and I blushed so hard that I thought that my blood vessels were going to burst.

"What?" Joe asked as Fang bust a gut laughing. I was about ready to attack Paige for saying it out loud. Erin did her evil laugh at me and I threw a pillow at her. She just kept laughing. I scowled at everything.

"Oh God," Fang said as he tried to calm down. "PeteyandFang3." Just saying it started him off again. I slumped back and glared around the room. Paige suddenly stopped laughing and I looked at her. Her eyes were flickering over the screen, reading something that was obviously very important. She squealed and bounced up and down in the seat.

"Maddie! They're getting back together!" She said, clapping her hands.

"Who?!" I asked, standing up.

"Fall Out Boy!" She yelled. I froze then screamed in delight. I shot over to Paige and read the screen over her shoulder. Erin and Rose joined us. We all shared a look then shrieked with all of our Fangirl power.

"OMIGOD! PETE WENTZ!" I screamed and pointed at the screen. "HE IS SO SEXY!" The Girls yelled in agreement and we all continued to explode.

"Oh, Maddie, do you still have the shrine?" Paige asked. I giggled and ran into my wardrobe. I pulled out a big piece of plasterboard that was nearly as tall as me and looked at it. It was covered with quotes and pictures of Fall Out Boy, but it was mostly Pete Wentz.

"Mmmm, Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz the third, hallowed be thy name." I stroked one of his pictures then propped the plasterboard up against the wall.

"That's pretty creepy..." Fang mumbled.

"Hey, dude, he looks like you." Joe said to Fang, pointing at one of the pictures of Pete with long black hair, much like Fang's. Fang cringed as the other Guys laughed.

"Yeah, man. She likes guys with black hair and fringes. Tan skin and tight chests. Dark eyes and an Emo personality. I'd watch it if I were you, she might rape you in your sleep." I shrieked with annoyance and pounced at Devan cutting his speech short. I tackled him to the floor and slapped his chest until my Mother's voice filtered up to us.

"Dinner is here!" I jumped up and ran downstairs with the other Girls.

**Fang's POV**

"Did you know that he was Punk'd by the band once?" Maddie asked as we sat around her room. We had just finished eating and it was about nine o'clock now.

"Really? That sounds great." Paige said, reclining in the chair that she had taken over.

"Yeah, I watched it. He thought that they were giving Christmas presents to poor children and they got Pete to control the lever that stopped the little train with the presents on it. They fixed the lever so that it didn't work and got stuck. The train crashed and Mr and Mrs Clause fell down. A fake ambulance came to get them. Santa started swearing at everyone. Pete had to explain to the kids why Santa has people that dress up like him to help him out because he is so busy. Then the Punk'd cameras came around and they told him that he had been Punk'd. Man, the look on his face." Maddie laughed from next to me on her bed. I was leaning back against the wall and watching everyone talk. Fall Out Boy was blasting from the speakers and it was lucky that we all liked them.

"Dude! I'll have to watch that later." Paige said. Maddie smiled at her before looking back at the screen of her laptop. She was writing what looked like a essay for English.

"Why do you still do all of this work when you've done all of your exams?" I asked.

"I don't know, really. I mean, I got an A* in English, Geography, Biology and RE. I just scrapped a B in Maths, Physics and Chemistry. I got As in German, Spanish and French, but I only took them because I was bored and had the time. I need to finish some course work in Media, Music and Drama, though I have an A in those at the moment. I just do the work because, in a way, I missed it." I nodded with understanding. That's pretty much why I was now doing it with her too.

"You done that Fucking essay yet? This is supposed to be a sleepover not a revision session." Erin asked, throwing a pillow at Maddie. It hit her chest and landed on her laptop. She looked at it for a moment then her eyes slowly lifted to Erin's. The darker girl's face displayed the kind of 'shit, why did I do that look'. Maddie calmly closed her laptop and pushed it under her bed, then stood up. She picked the pillow up and tossed it around in her hands. A grin spread Paige's lips as Maddie smiled evilly. Then every guys dream came true.

They all started a pillow fight.

In their pyjamas.

In their small, shorts and tank-tops pyjamas.

Oh God.

"Biatch! I'mma turtle slap you!" Paige shrieked as Maddie threw a pillow at her head. Maddie just laughed in that evil way of hers and threw another. She reached for another pillow but, much to her horror, found that she had run out of ammo. She looked up to see that the Girls had begun to gang up on her. Maddie shot me a pleading look and I melted. I picked up one of the pillows on her bed and threw it at Paige. That was enough to get Devan and Joe to join in with the game. Maddie jumped away from the others and pounced at me. I fell onto my back on her bed and Maddie sat on my hips pinning me down for long enough to hit me in the chest. I laughed and rolled us over, grabbing a weapon of my own. She giggled and covered her face with her hands.

There were feathers flying everywhere, shooting from Maddie's obviously expensive pillows. She didn't care one bit. Maddie rolled us over again and we fell off the bed. We just laughed and rolled around, wrestling and hitting each other with pillows. I faintly heard the door creak open after a few minutes.

"What is going on in he-" Saddie's sentence halted as she saw us all, feathers in our hair and covering the room. She raised one eyebrow at Maddie and I and I realised that we were in a pretty... compromising position. Maddie was sitting on my hips with a leg either side of me and she had was leaning on her hands, which were either side of my head. Saddie looked at the others and shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Well, it's a good thing I brought this up." She pulled something out from behind her back and my eyes widened. It was squeezy cream. Maddie held her hand up and grinned. Her Mother knew what she wanted and gave me a pitying look before throwing Maddie one of the cans. She giggled and shook the can as I moved to get away. Too late. Maddie squirted the cream right in my face and hair. She then looked down at my black shirt and decided that it would be just the bestest idea ever to draw a smiley face on it. She gave me an innocent look as I scowled at her. I lifted my arms and her smile disappeared.

"Gimme a hug." I said. Fear registered on her face and she scrambled to get up. I grabbed her and pulled her against my chest. She shrieked and slapped my arms but I held her tight.

"Fang you Ass! Let me go!" She was laughing so it didn't sound very intimidating. I used one hand to wipe the cream off of my face and hair, then smear it on hers. She pushed me away and ran into the wardrobe where I chased after her. She just made it into her en-suite before I could catch her and locked the door. I pounded on the door, listening to her laugh at me from the other side.

"I'm having a shower, go away! You can have one after me! I won't be long!" She called, still giggling cutely to herself.

Wait...

Cutely?

O.K, for one, when have I ever said that anything is cute? And two, Maddie? I can't... Oh no. No, no, no. I don't think she's cute, no.

I can't.

It would be wrong.

A violation against her and Max.

...

Crap.

Shit.

I Fucking like her. It's only been a Fucking week, Brain, you Bastard!

I groaned quietly and leaned against the wall in the wardrobe, hiding in the dark, listening to the others fight and talk and laugh, the whir of the boiler, the patter-patter of the shower. Maddie humming as she stands under the stream. Her hands wandering over her dark body and down-

I jerked forwards, shaking my head. Bad Fang, bad, bad Fang. But it was too late, the image was imprinted on the front of my brain, my cerebral cortex, never to move, always there and always taunting me with the body of the girl I can't have. Jesus, I haven't even _seen_ her actual body and it was now all I could think about. I was inexplicably drawn to her, which was very, very bad for many reasons.

Reason one: I loved Max. I had to, didn't I? I mean, I loved her when I left and well... I don't know, O.K? Being away from her for two years has put everything in a new... Perspective.

Reason two: She was my best-friend's little sister. Basically off limits.

Reason three: She's with this Lewis dude, but, from what Paige has told me, he is some kind of gang leader and he is using her against her will, which I, for one, am not happy about.

And reason three: I have known her for a week and she isn't even sixteen yet. That is a big no-no. I'm (maybe) two years older than her.

But Hell, I'm falling, and I get the feeling that my wings aren't gonna catch me this time.

**(Liniiiieeieiee Yeeeeaaaaahh!) (Liniiiieeieiee Yeeeeaaaaahh!)**

I showered in Maddie's amazingly strong, jet-force shower. The shower head was big enough to fit two people under, which only lead to more disturbing and equally erotic thoughts. Daymn hormones...

When dry and dressed again in the clothes that I had grabbed from James' room, which I had been staying in for the week, I went back into the now quieter room. Everyone was on their respective beds, which were spare mattresses for the others. Paige was next to Maddie's bed with a gap between them big enough to step between. Rose and Erin's mattresses were next to each other on the other side of the desk. Next to them were Maddie's big speakers and stereo, with Devan to the right of them. Joe's mattress was horizontal compared to the others and pushed against the wardrobe wall. Lee Evans was playing on the big flat-screen that was hanging on the other wardrobe wall, to the left of the doors. Everyone was gathered around it. Except Maddie. I looked over at her bed and saw her laying there, her back to us. Her hair was up in a messy bun, letting her fringe and bangs at the side out. She was wearing a big black shirt and the covers were pushed up to her waist. Her side rose and fell slowly and gently, proving that she was in fact asleep.

"She crashed out as soon as her head hit the pillow." Paige said, looking up at me, then at Maddie, then back to the telly. I stepped over to the big bed and kneeled down on it, leaning over Maddie and putting my mouth next to her ear.

"Maddie?"

"Mmmn, yeah?" She mumbled, shifting slightly and rubbing her eyes, which were still black-rimmed, and I wondered why she would put all that make-up back on after having a shower if she was just going to bed.

"Are you still O.K with me sleeping in with you?" I asked, using my words carefully. She mumbled something and I leaned forwards more, my lips brushing against her ear and cheek. I felt heat rise there. "What was that?"

"Uh, yeah. Just be careful. My Belly-bar is pretty new and still a little sore." Her voice was husky and sleep filled, and I suddenly had the desire to hear it every morning as I woke up. I shook that thought away and laid down beside her. She was facing the wall and I faced the same way, laying my head down on the pillows next to her and suddenly realised that we had demolished them all earlier.

"I had spares." Maddie said as if she had read my mind.

It took me a while but I finally started to drift off to sleep. I was almost completely in the abyss when Maddie rolled over and grabbed the quilt. I opened my eyes enough to see her sleepily roll her own at me and put the duvet over me. I was shocked at first but I relaxed and smiled, noting that she stayed on her left side, facing me, her face so serene.

Sometime in the middle of the night Maddie moved closer to me and I opened one tired eye. She looked upset, as if she was having a nightmare, so I reached a hand out and stroked her arm. She smiled slightly and slowly pressed herself against me, burying her face in my chest. I was too tired to be an emotionless rock so I put my arm around her and hugged her close, lulling us both back to sleep.

* * *

**Hi again like. Sorry for taking so long, I haven't had internet for almost an entire week. I know, it is horrifying. **

**I hope you enjoyed this, and uh, I just have to say, i really do love Fall Out Boy, and Pete Wentz has become the new object of my obsessions. After Max Ride, of course.**

**Oh, also, I had my Belly-button pierced and I have to admit, it kills. I couldn't even feel it when I was getting it done, but now, a day latter, it is starting to sting like a Mother Fucker.**

**Oh well.**

**R&R?!**


	8. Body Modification

**Hello there my little readers. Yes, I am updating. I know, amazing isn't it?**

**This chapter is huge, over twice the size of my average chapters. I just couldn't finish it off so I carried on until I found a good ending. And there it is. Sorry, by the way...**

**Glassheart-x - Dude, I can be poetic sometimes. Well, there is a line in this that is... Well, just read, O.K!**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Body Modification**

**Maddie's POV**

You know something? Waking up to the flashes of cameras was not awesome.

I groaned, lifting my head to look up. The Girls were giggling, leaning over my bed with their phones pointed at me. I frowned then realised why they were taking pictures. Fang was, surprisingly, still asleep, one arm wrapped around me. My face had been hidden by his chest before I awoke, and I get the feeling that they saw us and decided that they should take pictures of the cutesy scene because it is never happening again. Ever. Well, it would be nice, but...

"Cute. Too bad I can't put them on Facebook." Paige said and I scowled at her. Putting them on Facebook could be... Fatal. I'm being serious, this isn't just about my embarrassment.

"Fuck off." I mouthed. The Girls continued to giggle as they walked away and sat on Erin's mattress. I rolled my eyes and glanced at Fang. It was strange, his face was very calm, but I knew that there was hurt and a massively built-up wall underneath it all, waiting for wakefulness to bring it crashing back. And I hated to be the one to bring his pain back to the surface but I needed to get up and he was holding me pretty tight. I peeked over his shoulder to look at the clock on my bed-side and my eyes widened. It was half-ten. The others had to have been up for a while. I gently moved one of my arms to shake Fang awake but that movement was enough to make his eyes snap open and latch onto me. I smiled slightly and he seemed to realise our, uh, position. He released me and scooted back. My cheeks heated as he sat up and ran a hand though his silky, black, tousled hair. He looked around for a moment then stood up and went into the bathroom. I watched him leave, wondering how a guy could have such a nice ass.

"When are we leaving?" Rose asked, looking up at me with those still innocent eyes of hers. I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I rubbed my eyes, once again thanking my Grandmother (may she rest in peace) for perfecting her industrial strength eyeliner. God bless.

"As soon as is physically possible. Come on, us Girls will go in my wardrobe to get ready." I stood up, wobbling slightly before being able to slump over to my stereo. I plumbed my iPod in and selected the FOB playlist and pressing play. I turned the volume right up so that I it was still loud in the wardrobe, that and it would annoy Mr. Matthews. Fang came back into the room as I pushed the girls into the closet. I stuck my tongue out at him and shut the door.

"Are you straightening your hair?" Paige asked as she looked at my messy bun.

"Might as well. It only takes me about ten." I said, opening my draws and riffling through them until I find my GHDs.

"Only ten?! It takes me forty minutes to do mine, and even then it only lasts a day." Erin exclaimed, studying me closely. I rolled my eyes and pulled the mirror out of its hiding place. (This wardrobe was pretty decked-out) I sat down in front of it, my legs crossed, the straighteners heating to my left and Paige sitting next to me, also cross-legged, on my right. She looked at me.

"Why did you wear your make-up to bed, Maddie?" She asked cryptically. I shot her a small glare then pulled my hair out of the bun. It flowed down over my shoulders and I shook my head to loosen it up.

"You know why, Paige." I replied calmly, not looking at her as I brushed through my hair. Her eyes glazed over me for a moment before she nodded.

"Just checking."

"Good."

This may be confusing now, but you'll get it all one day, it may be at the very end, but you'll get it.

I started ironing out my hair in sections and I was soon finished. I ran my fingers through it and made sure my fringe was in place, though it never went exactly how I wanted it to.

"It really does take only ten minutes." Erin murmured. I shrugged. My hair was thin and it only took one sweep to get it dead-straight. I guessed that I should consider myself lucky.

"Hey!" Joe's voice boomed suddenly as he banged on the doors, making us jump, and making me glad that I wasn't doing my make-up yet, for I could have lost my eye.

"Bastard," I whispered as I put my stuff down. "WHAT?!"

"How long are you guys gonna be?" He whined. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose before standing up and opening the door. He jumped back in surprise. Erin and Rose both squealed and ran to the far side of the wardrobe and only then did I realise that they were getting dressed.

"Sorry!" I shouted, wincing. I then turned to Joe with a glare. "Not. Long. Be. Patient."

"God!"

"Yes, my child?"

"Shut up."

"Hey, Maddie?" Fang came into my room with new clothes, consisting of a tight black shirt, black jacket, black skinnies and black pumps with a white trim. "Can I borrow a lip ring?"

"Why?" I asked. He came up to me and held up his hand. Between two fingers was half of a broken lip ring. "Who and why?"

"Joe because he's a clumsy Ass."

"Right," I said. I went to my desk where I kept my collection of rings and pulled one of the bigger ones out. I gave it to him, smiling as he grinned, all toothy. "We won't be long. Promise."

**(This is a Liney like) (This is a Liney like)**

"Look, I'm sorry. How I supposed to know that it would break?" Paige snapped at Joe who shot her a glare.

"You threw it on the floor from the top of an escalator. How would it _not_ break?!" Joe waved his hands around, one of which was holding the remnants of his phone.

"It's your own fault! I told you to get the camera out of my face. When you refused I decided to do it for you." I groaned as they started to argue. We were in the middle of town, with people starting to crowd, partly because of the fight and partly because of Fang, who turned out to be a bigger celebrity than we thought. I decided to end this before the entire day was ruined so I stood up from the wall I was leaning on. When I got to them they were both having such massive hissy-fits that they didn't see me pull my phone out. I looked around and saw a middle-aged Asian man walking by. I stopped him and asked if he had a rubber band I could borrow. He, luckily, did and he gave it to me with a kind smile. I put that man of my list of reasons I still have faith in humanity as I went to Fang. I asked for his belt and he raised his eyebrows at me. I just held my hand out until he un-looped it and put it in my hand, trying to hide a smirk as the girls screamed for him to remove the rest of his clothes. I gritted my teeth as I folded the belt in half. I tied the rubber band around the two loose ends then held one side as I readied my camera. I flicked my wrist and snapped the belt down, making a loud crack that made most people in the area jump. I got a picture as Paige jumped a squealed and Joe shot back in fright. (**This bloody works! My Brother used to do it all the time**)

I gave the man his rubber band back and threw Fang his belt, which was almost stolen by one of his admirers.

"Now then," I stood in front of Paige and Joe, giving them both my best stop-acting-like-children-and-act-your-ages-you-will-listen-to-me-because-I-am-Mummy-Bear look. "I now have this pretty good picture of both of you Shitting yourselves. Why don't you two carry on your pitiful argument and see where the photo ends up." Joe and Paige exchanged a look then nodded grudgingly. I flashed a smiled then marched them back over to the group.

"Now that that's sorted..." Erin mumbled.

"Where are we going first?" Rose asked, nervously wringing her hands and hopping around on her toes.

"We should go and get the, uh, piercings first." I said.

"But I'm hungry." Joe whined. I almost slapped him.

"If we eat first there is a high risk of vomit." I shot a look at Rose. Joe sighed in defeat.

"So, to Celtic it is." Paige said.

Celtic was the best tattoo and body-piercings parlour around. Seriously. When we got there it had just opened and we were, luckily, the first customers. We walked through the door, the comic bell chiming above our heads. Behind the counter sat Logan. Devan's brother.

"Dude, I didn't know you worked here." I said, slapping him a high-five as he stood up.

"Yeah, neither did I." Devan commented, looking confused.

"Yeah, about that..." Logan rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought that the less you know, the less Mum can threaten out of you."

"True dat Brah." Devan drawled, his accent shining. It was Logan's real Mum, and the closest thing that Devan had to a Mother. Other than me.

"So, what can I do for you?" Logan asked.

"Logan, how are you today?" I asked charmingly.

"No."

"I haven't even asked you yet."

"No tattoos."

"But they're over sixteen and their Parents are gonna call in." I said, purposely avoiding the fact that I was still only fifteen.

"Who said that we have a permission acceptance?"

"Your website."

"Touché."

"Naw come on! You know that they're above sixteen, and they have their bee-lines. Hell, Joe's Mum is even at work at the cafe down the road, she could come in here if you don't trust the phone call."

"O.K. What about you, short stuff?" He asked, an amused smile on his face. I scowled.

"Fang! Yeah, he's eighteen. And I am under his guardianship. He can sign for the tattoo and the piecing."

"Piercing?" Just then the phone rang and Logan picked it up. After a minute he hung up and started scribbling on a piece of paper.

"O.K. That was Joe's permission. Have a look through the art and pick what you like." Logan turned to speak to me again but the phone rang once more. He talked over it then hung up and told Erin that she was allowed. She fist-bumped the air, then me, then joined Devan. The door's bell rang and we all turned in time to see Rose's Grandmother come through the door and walk up to the desk. She signed a consent form and kissed Rose on the top of her head.

"If you want to walk out at any time, even just as the needle is above your skin, feel free to do so," She said, her pure voice floating over us. She turned to me. "Are you O.K to pay for this, Madison Dee?" I smiled as she called me by my old name and nodded. She gave me a quick hug , telling me that I was missed, then walked back out of the shop. I liked hearing my old name sometimes.

"So, just you and Paige to go, except that you aren't getting it. You can have a piercing with his consent, but not a tattoo."

"What about Devan?"

"I'm his older brother. I can sign for him."

"Logan, listen, all I want is a small touch-up to my stamp."

"Are you saying you already have a tattoo?" He asked. I nodded and turned around, lifting the back of my shirt to show him.

"Where did you get this done?!" He sounded a little panicked.

"Spain."

"That explains a lot."

"Oh come on, please. Just a little modification. Please?" I pulled out the good old puppy-dog eyes and he sighed.

"Fine. And if anyone asks, this is for medical reasons." I smiled and hugged him quickly. Logan gave Fang my forms and we joined the others. Fang signed my tattoo one then looked at me.

"What piercing are you getting?" He asked. I paused for a moment.

"My hips? No, no. Too slutty. I don't think that another lip piercing would suit me, besides, Paige is getting Spider Bites. Uh..." I tapped my chin and licked my lips. Then it hit me. I stuck my tongue out.

"Oh, no." Fang said, shaking his head. But I was nodding and putting a finger to my lips. I wanted to surprise the others. And I knew Paige didn't particularly like tongue piercings, so there was no need to worry her.

"Yep!" I popped the p and he sighed, filling out the second form. I nudged him with my shoulder and he looked down at me. I flashed him a toothy smile and he rolled his eyes, but I could see the amusement glinting in the black pools. I turned to look at Paige who was scrolling through something on her phone. I stood next to her.

"He called yet?" I asked, not looking in her direction, instead letting my eyes scan over the others who were talking animatedly.

"No."

"He at work?"

She gritted her teeth.

"No."

"Give me the phone." Paige gave me what seemed like a pleading look but I snatched the phone out of her hand. I called her Father and pressed the speaker to my ear, tapping my foot impatiently.

"Paige?" Her Father's voice filters through to me, slightly slurred and surrounded by loud music and voices. He was at the Fucking pub...

"No, Mr. Mundean," I struggled to keep my voice calm and Fang instantly picked up on my change of tone, even from the other side of the shop. "It's Maddie."

"Oh, I didn't know that you where back. Paige didn't tell me. I-"

"Did Paige have the chance to tell you?" I snapped before I could stop myself then closed my eyes in that why-did-I-just-do-that way. "Look, I called to ask if she can get a tattoo?"

"Oh, yeah, whatever." I was about ready to kill. I put him on loud speaker and held the phone up to Logan.

"Can you repeat that? Nice and formal like." I said it as if speaking to a toddler.

"She has my permission to get a tattoo. O.K?" He had grown impatient and so had I. I brought the phone to my mouth and hissed,

"Thanks, **_Sir_**_,_" I hung up before he could reply and threw the phone to Paige who wouldn't look at anyone, embarrassed by her lowly excuse of a Father.

"I need to go and get the money out of the machine." I murmured as I walked to the door, yanking it open, the small bell mocking me as I rushed outside. The fresh air hit my face and only then did I realise how sanitary and chemically it smelt in there, and I wondered how uncomfortable that made Fang feel.

I heard the bell ding again as I stormed down the street to the cash machine, but I didn't turn around.

"You O.K?" Fang asked, stepping into trot beside me.

"Fine." I growled.

"You're an awful liar," He said as we stopped in front of a cash machine. He leaned against the wall as I posted my card into the slot. "Can I just ask; How come your the Mother Bear of the group when you're the youngest?"

"I don't know. I guess it's just who I am. That and they all need a Mother Bear, for one reason or another." I replied, typing my pin into the keypad and selecting the 'Take Money Out' option.

"Right," He muttered. I quickly added it all up in my head, cringed, then took six hundred pounds out of my bank. "How much is this gonna cost?"

"I just added it up. I got about £450." Fang raised his eyebrows.

"And your sure your Dad won't mind?" He asked.

"It's my money. I earned it. It's on my card. He wouldn't even know. Besides, me getting £600 out of the bank is like a toddler asking for 50p for a sweet."

"Jesus, O.K then," Fang ran his fingers through his fringe, ruffling it then letting it land in front of his left eye again. I almost, _almost_, reached up and ran my own hand through it, but I refrained myself. We started back towards Celtic and I was glad that I had cooled down enough to go back inside. "How come you've got a credit card? You're not sixteen yet."

"I'm rich. 'Nuff said." I shrugged and we walked back into Celtic.

"You pay the artists by time. Every half hour is thirty pounds." Logan's tone was that of a bored worker so I spared him the shpeale and waved my hand at him, holding up the wad of cash. Their eyes widened.

"I know. I figured the rough amount of time it would take all of the tattoos and added the amounts up in my head," I shrugged and looked around the room. "And yes, I know, up one set of stairs and take a left for tattoos. Then up the other stairs and two rights for body piercing and modification." I flashed Logan a smile then pulled a packet of Cheetos out of my bag, laying them on the desk in front of him. He grinned at me thankfully as I ushered the others up the stairs. When we go to the top of the first set I laid out the plan.

"O.K, us Girls will go and get our piercings while you start off on your tattoos. Then we'll come down and wait for ours. Deal?" I looked at them all, waiting for an argument. I didn't get one.

"Cool, see you guys soon, then." I said and Joe saluted. I almost had to drag Rose up the second set of stairs and when we got to the waiting area she sat down on one of the plush, red velvet chairs with a thud.

"You don't have to do this." Erin said gently, which was weird considering she usually went for the 'smash and grab' tactic.

"Yeah, we aren't gonna force you." I agreed. Rose shook her head stubbornly but as the Piercer's door opened she jumped.

"I'm doing it. You'll just have to... Help me through it." She muttered.

"Atta girl!" Paige cheered. A woman stepped out around the doorframe and smiled at us.

"Are you guys next?" She asked, her voice light and reassuring. I nodded and pulled Rose up. When we got into the room I sat Rose down and she shot me a horrified look.

"You should go first, so that you don't get spooked." I said. I kneeled next to her, making sure to keep my head lower than hers. Hey, don't judge, I studied Psychology, I know my Shit.

"You first then, my love?" Rose nodded as the woman finished pulling on clean gloves. "O.K then. My name is Jacqueline. But please, call me Jackie. Now what are we having done today?" Rose swallowed the proverbial lump of cotton in her throat before answering.

"Uh, I want a cartilage piercing. On both ears." I winced as she said this. I heard that cartilage piercings hurt, but I wasn't going to say anything. I shoot Paige a look and we exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing.

"Well alrighty then, let's get started." Jackie went through the process with Rose, marking off the hole with a black pen then letting Rose see it was in the right place. She then let Rose pick her earrings as she readied the small blue gun. The sight of it made me stiffen for a moment and I had to force myself to loosen up. I made her close her eyes and I put a hand on her shoulder, hoping that I was able to steady her if she jumped. Jackie pierced Roses ear before even I was ready. But that worked, because Rose didn't have time to tense up. Then, like the superhero she obviously is, she did the other ear straight after. Rose's jaw had dropped at the first then snapped shut at the second and as she opened her eyes she relaxed her arms, which were wrapped around herself very tight. She smiled and stood up, looking at her new earrings in the mirror. She grinned and stood next to Erin. I looked at said dark girl and I saw her swallow. She sat in the chair, waiting for Jackie to put on some fresh gloves. They went through the same procedure, on Erin's naval this time. I told her that the clamps and the freeze spray hurt more than the actual piercing, but she didn't believe me until it happened. She winced then smiled into the mirror, holding her shirt up to look. Jackie put a large square plaster over her belly button then indicated for Paige to sit on the chair. Again, the fresh gloves, the pen marking, the numbing spray, the clamps (which bloody hurt, my God) and the needle. Paige didn't flinch, not like her first lip ring, oh no. That was pretty amusing... She looked at her new ring, slightly bigger than the other, as the new ones are, with the little back ball. She nodded her approval then dramatically held her arms out in the direction of the chair, giving me a pretty self-satisfied look. I glared at her as I sat, watching her go to the sink to wash her mouth out as she was told.

"And what are you having done?" She asked pleasantly. I shot Paige a grin of my own and stuck my tongue out, pointing at it. "Ah, O.K. Let me get you ready then." I looked over at my Girls and saw their expressions. Paige's jaw was practically on the floor, Rose looked a little ill, and Erin seemed impressed.

Jackie sprayed my tongue with the numbing stuff, waiting a bit before asking me to stick my tongue back out. She dried it then drew the dot, letting me see if it was 'in the right place for me'. When I nodded she carefully lined the clamp up, the triangular hole just around the dot, checking the top and bottom of my tongue. Then bam. She was just talking to me and she pushed the needle in when I really wasn't expecting it. I tried not to react but wow. I didn't like needles anyway, so...

She pulled the tongue bar into the hole and screwed the ball on. I looked at it in the mirror, noticing that it actually suited me. I licked around my mouth before speaking.

"Can you just check my other piercings please. They're about a month old, and I just want to know how they're doing." I was proud by how little lisp there was in my speech and I mentally patted myself on the back.

"Sure Honey. I'm guessing one of them is this lip ring," She pointed at it and I nodded, letting her inspect it. "And this is only a month old?"

"Well, just a little less, but yeah." I replied, trying to ignore the throbbing in my tongue.

"Huh. Well this is fully healed. Perfectly fine and perfectly done. What's the other piercing?" She asked. I pulled my Moustache shirt up and showed her the belly-bar. She pulled it a little then looked up at me sceptically.

"And you got this one at the same time?" She asked, standing up straight. I nodded.

"Yeah, exact same day. Why?"

"Because that one is completely healed too, as if you've had it in for years. Strange." She frowned slightly.

"But it still hurts a little." I said.

"Yes, I think that the banana you have in is too wide," She rummaged through her draws and pulled out a plastic box filled with small, sealed packets of belly-bars. "Here, pick one of these then change it. You may want to change the lip ring, too." I pulled one of the bars out and looked at it. It was black and white checkers. I pulled my shirt up and unscrewed the ball of my bar slowly, then gently pulled it out of the hole. It felt weird but I did it quickly, fearful of it healing up, even though Jackie had said that it was fully healed. I opened the little plastic pack and pulled the new bar out, then putting it into place. I looked at it in the mirror, liking the pattern against my tanned skin, striking out like the other plain silver one couldn't. I stretched my stomach and wriggled my hips, seeing if the new bar was more comfortable. Once satisfied I turned to Jackie.

"How much do I need to give you?" I asked.

"One-Hundred and Five, please," she beamed. I counted out One-Hundred and Twenty and pressed it onto her palm. "Thanks." She gave me my change, one Ten-pound note and one Five. I turned to the sink and washed my mouth out, listening as Jackie told us all to make sure to wash our piercings at least three times a day, and for Paige and I to wash ours after eating. We waved and chorused our goodbyes as we left the room, travelling back down the top set of stairs and stopping by the tattoo cubicles. I heard Rose swallow. I stood on my toes to look over the cubical walls, trying to find Fang. I saw his dark, shiny hair and smiled, hoping around the wall and poking my head into the space. Fang looked at me, smiling slightly, one side of his mouth quirked in that way that made my heart jump into my throat. He was sitting on a plush blue chair, his right arm extended onto a table with the artist bent over it. I sat down on the chair next to him and watched the small needle glide carefully over his olive skin. I watched as his sleeve was extended down to his wrist, pitch black swirls, sharp patterns, reminding me of Celtic (the ancient kind) art. I looked around and saw that his other arm had cling-film wrapped around it, but only the lower part. I could see the tattoo underneath it. It was same type of pattern, strong and sharp, the darkest black. It kind of faded at the elbow, not in colour, but in, well, quantity. It didn't just stop suddenly, it was gradual, adding a great effect to the art. I looked at my watch and had to do a double take. It had been an hour and a half since we got Rose's piercing, which is when I first looked at my watch. I had been sitting with Fang for no longer than forty minutes. Jesus.

I let my eyes travel over Fang's angular face, catching them on his cheekbones, lips and eyes like a... A... A Whore's hand on a dick.

Oh, poetry, it is I.

Shakespeare would be so proud.

I shook my head slightly, trying not to move my tongue too much, the pain starting to throb through it. I rolled it around in my mouth as Fang's tattoo was finished off.

"Here you go, Dude. That'll be Ninety quid." The artist pulled his gloves off and put the inks away as I pulled a wad of cash out of my pocket. Just as I paid Erin and Rose popped their heads around the wall.

"We need you to pay for ours." Erin said. I frowned.

"What, is everyone finished?" I asked, walking up to her. She nodded and slung her thumb over her shoulder, pointing at the others who were waiting. "Well, mine won't take too long. Twenty minutes tops. How much is it?"

"Uh... Three-Hundred and Thirty pounds." Erin murmured, wincing slightly. I shrugged and handed the money to Rose. I watched her as she gave it to Logan who then turned to look at me. He started towards us and I turned back to Erin.

"Go and wait with the others, tell them that I won't be long and we'll go to Subway for food when I'm done." Erin nodded. She passed Logan as he stopped in front of me.

"I'm doing yours. Less people to ask and answer questions then." He said, setting his equipment up. I sat down again, noticing that Fang was sitting in the plush chair still, while I was in the big green one, the one that can be lowered and flattened out. Logan obviously wanted to do that, needing me to lay on my stomach so that he can get to my back more easily. Had to move my arms underneath me to be more comfortable on my, uh, bust. Fang was sitting right in front of me and he smiled at me as I perched my chin on my hands, looking directly at him. I moved my shirt enough for Logan to get at the tattoo.

"I just want it to look a little smoother. And some of the black is a little patchy. Can you just go over it please?" Logan mumbled a yes and pulled out the black ink. He started the needle over the tip of the left wing and slowly worked his way to the middle. He warned me as he went over my spine, which was nice of him.

"So," I said uncomfortably to Fang. "How was the whole needle thing with you?" He shrugged.

"The whole needle and antiseptic thing isn't as bad as it was. I can't say that I love them, but they're better."

"Right. My fear of them is just irrational." I mumbled. A contemplating look passed over his perfect face.

"No. It isn't." His voice was soft, almost as if he was talking to himself. Logan slapped my new and improved tattoo as he finished it, making it sting even more. I shot him a glare and he just smiled innocently at me. He taped on a piece of cling-film then stood me up.

"And there you go. Only just under half an hour. Thirty pounds it is." I handed him the money with a sour look then walked to the others. They jumped up and we went to the reception area. I quickly bought a few new, smaller belly bars, the shortest tongue bar I could find, and a good looking black lip ring with spikes on the ends. We stepped into the bright, yet cold day and walked to the closest Subway. Paige was looking at me weirdly and by the time we had ordered our food and sat down to eat it I had lost my patience.

"What?!" I snapped at her.

"Well, you just got your tongue pierced, how are you gonna eat?" She asked slowly.

"Oh, that? Look." I unscrewed the ball and pulled the bar out of my tongue then quickly replaced it with the new one I had bought. When screwed back on it was tight on my tongue, fitting perfectly. I showed them but when I tried to speak I found out that it gave me a big lisp. The others laughed, Joe almost spilling his drink. I ate my sub carefully, wincing slightly sometimes, but other than that it was fine. And yes, I know, you're supposed to eat only, like, soup and mashed potato when you get your tongue done but I was kind of sick of those, considering that it was all I could feed my Father for a long time.

"So, where to next?" Paige asked, finishing off her food and taking a swig of the bottle of water we had bought, swishing it around her mouth to clean her lip. I did the same then took a drink of Coke.

"Well, it's..." My voice faded for a moment as I looked at my watch. "Two o'clock. Jesus, O.K. Uh, we could go and look in the various clothing stores?" I tried to sound enthusiastic but I'm pretty sure my voice came out the complete opposite. Paige shot me a sympathetic look.

"You know what? I think that we're all kinda tired and definitely sore, and we need to tend to and show off our various body modifications, so why don't we go back to Maddie's house and chill out for a while before heading back to our respective homes?" Everyone shared a look and a mutter before agreeing.

The bus journey home was... Testing. As in, testing my nerves. There was a group of people that I could only describe as Chavs sitting at the back when we got on. And, let's just say, Paige and I _persuaded_ them to move. It might sound mean, but they were Asses, so...

For the entire rest of the journey they made it their sole purpose to irritate us. They sat a few rows away and talked as loud as possible, even smoking and blowing it out the small bus windows. Erin started to twitch beside me and I was finding hard to ignore the smell.

You see, before I went to Spain, and after Lewis had shown his true colours, I got addicted to smoking. Not by choice, either. Lewis had this big garage type thing were him and his stupid gang hung out, and their second-hand smoke got me addicted. I would get vicious headaches and a craving like Hell whenever I wasn't there, so instead of spending more time with him and his buddies, I started smoking. It helped, and I learnt how to hide it from everyone. But the girls soon found out then told Devan and Joe. They all tried to get me out of it but there was nothing I could do. When I had to go to Spain I just had to give up, I couldn't let my Dad see me like that. It was difficult at first, going cold turkey, but I sucked it up and dragged myself on. Sure, it was torture, pure and unadulterated, but better than being with Lewis.

When we stood to go to the lower level of the bus (it's a double-decker, if you hadn't noticed) I got Fang to go first and then I went at the back with Paige in front of me. As we passed between the Chavs one of the boys reached a hand out to grab at Paige's ass. I was on him in a second. I grabbed his wrist, pulling it up and twisting it around his back. He squealed like a girl and I twisted his arm harder, liking the way he squirmed. None of his friends told me to get off him or tried to stop me, they just watched as I leaned forwards and growled in his ear.

"You guys look like the kind of people who would be disciples. That means you have a leader, yes? Right, so why don't you tell your leader that if they ever go anywhere near my family, especially my Girls, I'll kick their Ass. Oh, and do me a favour. Take that advice yourself." I pushed him forwards as I let go of his arm then stormed away. The others were waiting by the top of the small stairs and I ushered them down. We stepped off at our stop then started to walk to my house.

"Man, Maddie, you scared the Shit outta that kid. What'd you say?" Devan asked, moving to walk next to me.

"Rainbows and Unicorns." I muttered.

"No seriously." He said, looking at me

"Sunshine and Leprechauns."

"Maddie, come on."

"Fairies and gumdrops." I insisted. He threw his hands up.

"Fine. Be that way." He said, fake hurt dripping into his voice and mixing smoothly with that chocolaty accent of his. Wow, that was a perfect way to describe it. Chocolaty.

Talking of accents, a particular bird-boy stepped into pace next to me and gave me a sideways look.

"Sunshine and Leprechauns, huh?" He smiled. I smirked slightly, listening to his voice play over and over in my head. I liked the way he said Leprechauns, he pronounced it differently at the end. He had a proper American accent, one that you would usually only find in one of those American rock bands, like... Omigod, Fall Out Boy. They had perfect accents, too.

_ Oh, maybe that means that Fang can sing. I'll have to ask him to give me a verse. Then again, he doesn't talk much, so getting him to sing could be a challenge. Maybe I coul-_

"Yo, Earth to Maddie!" Joe waved a hand in front of my face and I jumped back, startled out of my thoughts. "You got the key?" It took me a moment to process what he had said but when I did I nodded and pulled it out of my pocket. I opened the door and looked around the drive. It was strange, Mum's car wasn't there. Maybe she had gone to see one of her friends.

We all went into the living room and dropped onto the sofas. Joe yelped and shot up instantly and Devan sat forward quickly from his slumped position. Joe was hoping around and swearing and it took me longer than it should have to figure out that he had leant on his tattoo. Fang was laughing at them both but when Devan reached over and slapped Fang's arm he hissed in a breath and glared. I shook my head and turned the telly on, fiddling with my belly bar through my shirt while I idly scrolled through the channels. I almost fell asleep at one point but was shaken out of it as Joe asked me if him and the Guys could use the Playstation. I said yes and watched as they fought over the game. My Girls were crowded around my laptop and giggling. I got suspicious and peeked over Rose's thin shoulder at the screen. I shrieked and grabbed my laptop, slamming it shut and blushing profusely. The Girls were rolling over each other with laughter.

"What?" Fang asked, looking between my beet-red face and the Girls. Paige had to calm herself down a bit before speaking.

"I can't believe... Omigod... Leaked photos... Pete Wentz... Saved on... Favourites!" She started screaming with laughter again and I wriggled in my skin uncomfortably. I was wide awake now. Joe's questioning face turned to one of shock and disgust.

"Good God, woman! You have Pete Wentz's leaked photos saved on your favourites?!" His voice was high with surprise and he coughed at the end of his question. I blushed even harder and looked away from everyone. The doorbell rang and I shot up, muttering a low, "I'll get it.". I rushed out of the room and to the door. I could see a tall-ish dark figure outside and I fiddled with the key, trying to unlock the door.

"Hey, Maddie, tell whoever it is to screw off so you can oogle at your special pictures again." Paige called to me through the door and I turned my head towards it, shouting back as I opened the door.

"I'm gonna shove that laptop up your Arse you sassy Bit-" I stopped dead, my sentence dropping to the floor, the letters landing on the concrete step with a click. I drew back slightly at the sight of the person in front of me.

"Hey, Baby. Long time no see." It was awful, how his voice could sound so mocking and threatening at the same time. I made a chocking noise as he smiled evilly at me.

"Lewis."

* * *

**Heh.**

**Yeah, sorry...**

**I am a horrible person, but just wait, because it gets much, much worse.**

**R&R?!**


	9. Confess Your Sins

**Hi...**

**Yeah, i know it's been ages since I last updated, so...**

**Yeah, just sorry.**

**Anyway...**

**Glassheart-x - Thanks, I suppose. Oh, and if you figure out which three book/T.V show/song quotes I have slipped in here, you get... A... A sneak peek.**

**imaddictedtocarrots - Thanks you!**

**demonjazzi - I will, I will...**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Confess Your Sins**

**Paige's POV**

It was like a veil of silence was suddenly draped over us all. I shared a look with Fang and we stood up and went to the living room door. I eased it open and looked through the gap. Maddie was standing in front of the door, a horrified look on her smooth face. I pushed the door open, listening as it slammed against the wall. I looked out into the garden and my jaw dropped. There he stood, in all of his smug glory. Lewis.

That bastard.

Maddie shot me a look that was more like a plea, begging me not to overreact and make a big deal out this. Well, when did I ever listen to her?

"You Prick." I pointed at him as I started to march out. Maddie grabbed my arm and wrenched me back. Fang joined us and as his eyes scanned over Lewis. Fang knew who he was.

"What do you want?" Fang asked, his face expressionless and his voice smooth. Lewis was looking between Maddie and Fang suspiciously. When he took a step forwards Maddie jumped and stepped in front of me protectively.

"Leave it." She ground out through her gritted teeth.

"I just came to talk to Pretty. Come here, Honey." Maddie shot a look at Fang, who was watching us all carefully, then back at me. I was scowling forwards, trying to get in front of Maddie, but she kept side stepping me. I swear, I was gonna trip her in a minute.

"Why don't you screw off, yeah?" I snapped. Lewis just smiled.

"Leave. It. Alone." Maddie growled. I glared at her. She stepped away from me and stood in front of Fang. I'm not sure, but I think was to block Fang if he tried to, like, attack Lewis. I don't know why she should bother, really.

"What is it, Lewis?" She asked, her voice suddenly tired sounding.

"I just wanna talk, Darlin'." He drawled. I was gonna shove his crappy pet names up his Arse!

"Talk then." She said, waving her hands around to indicate that she waiting.

"Come to the..." His sentence trailed away as he looked at Fang and I, obviously not wanting to 'reveal his location'. "Garage. Tomorrow. Not too late please, Sugar." Maddie wanted to decline, she wanted to tell him to Fuck off out of here before she kicks his Ass to the floor, I could tell. I thought she was going to do such a thing but one thing stopped her.

"Maddie? What's going on?" Erin's voice was low, muffled from behind the closed door. And Lewis suddenly grinned big, cocking his head to the side slightly.

"Is that Erin I hear? I haven't seen her in a long time." Maddie's eyes widened, her face paled and she slammed her hand on the living room door as it started to open. She squeezed her eyes shut, grinding her teeth.

"I'll be there." She choked out. Lewis nodded then just turned on his heel and left, walking up the drive and disappearing behind the fence. Maddie clenched her fists then slammed the door shut, almost breaking the glass panelling. She threw the living room door open and stomped through to the kitchen. We quickly followed, wondering what the Hell she was doing. She started rummaging through the fridge and I realised that she was looking for something sweet. She threw a load of stuff out of the fridge then closed it, looking around. She jumped onto the counter and started going through the cupboards. Fang and I exchanged worried glances.

"Maddie-"

"Shut up!" She hissed, not stopping her rummaging. She shrieked with annoyance, making Rose jump slightly. She pulled a cigarette packet out of the cupboard and stared at it. She started to shake. Fang had a slight gleam of panic in his eyes as he watched her. She suddenly snapped out of her trance and crushed the packet in her hand. She jumped off of the counter as if it was on fire then shot out the back door. We rushed out after her. She stepped from the concrete patio onto the grass and threw the packet as hard as she could. She gripped her hair, obviously freaking the Fuck out and really Fucked off with the fact that she could do nothing about it. She whirled around pointing at Fang angrily.

"You!" She stomped up to him, getting right in his face. "It's so Fucking annoying! You can just jump up and fly away if you wanted to! I can't even go for a Fucking walk to clear my head! He's probably got his guys everywhere, watching me!"

"Maddie, calm down." Fang said, his hands moving up to rest on her shoulders. She looked like she was about to explode at him but then they both tensed, their shoulders lifting slightly. Maddie shot him a wide-eyed look and he turned his head to the left slightly.

"Can you hear that?" She whispered. He nodded, his hands tightening on her shoulders. Suddenly there were gunshots erupting from all around us and we all dropped to the floor. The shock echoed around us as a dozen small, lethal bullets punctured the ground and everything else around them.

"Gang fight!" Maddie yelled. Fang had pushed her down and his wings had flared out over them both. "Get into the house! Now!" We all crawled across the grassy lawn, jumping whenever a bullet came to close. We all got to the patio doors and threw ourselves inside. I hesitated. Maddie pushed me in, grabbing the key on her way. I landed hard on my side, my hip jarring on the hard-wood floor as I saw Maddie lock the doors from the outside. As I got up she ran around the front of the house. I heard her opening the front door before I saw her. I just got to it as she slammed it closed again, locking it. I looked around for the key but it was obvious that she had it, and her Mum and James would have the other two.

"Shit!" I hissed. I ran back into the living room and looked out of the window, pushing Erin back as she tried to get a look herself. If this was a gang fight, they really didn't need to see Erin so close, not after everything Maddie had done to keep her safe.

I watched as the gunshots halted and guns were lowered. Maddie stepped out into view and looked around at everyone. Fang was with her, his wings still out but only folded half-way.

"What is going on?" She asked, her voice muffled by the double-glazing, but I could still hear the I-demand-authority tone that dripped from her words. The people around looked at each other, seemingly hesitant about talking. I looked up and saw the small window that sat in the wall near the ceiling. I reached up and pushed it open just enough for the voices and noises from outside to leak through.

"That, Love, is none of your business." One of the men snapped, stepping forward. Fang moved forwards to, one foot crossing Maddie's protectively. She didn't push him away.

"It is all of my business. This is my neighbourhood and you just stuffed bullets into my house," she growled the words, looking around at them all. "Who are you with?"

"No one." The guy ground out. He knew who she was and what she had the power to do. And what makes it even better is that she knew that he knew.

"Well, there are two 'gangs' here," she said, putting air quotes around 'gangs'. "One of them is under Dante. The other, well, the other is under me."

"You do not lead us!" The guy yelled, seeming to lose his nerve. He instantly regretted it. I could just see that 'Oh no, why?' look on his face.

"No, I don't. Lewis does. And I'll be damned if he allowed this fight." She smiled, knowing that she had them right where she wanted them.

"Please, don't te-"

"What? Tell him? Oh, I don't have to. This will get to him before the hour is up. You should have thought about that before you started shooting." She turned to walk away, putting one hand on Fang's chest to move him out of her way, but he had seen the other guy move as Maddie turned around, running at her. The next thing we know, Fang's twisted the guy's arm up and behind his back, pushing him to his knees. It was weird, watching Fang move. He was graceful and powerful, threatening and terrifying. And he was fast. Really fast. The guy had barely moved when Fang reacted.

Maddie spun around and glared down at the guy.

"You may be Lewis' Bitch but you're in deep shit with him!" He yelled, pulling against Fang who scowled down at him. He looked like his was gonna rip the guy a new ball sack but Maddie kneeled down in front of the thrashing gang member and got right in his face instead.

"I am not Lewis' Bitch. I am no one's Bitch," she whispered menacingly. He guy stilled, watching her as she leant closer. He moved back. "Now, go back to your Shit hole. Don't ever come here again. If I ever see your ugly Ass face again, I'll tear it off your skull." He nodded as she stood up again.

"That counts for all of you! This is my neighbourhood, no matter what anyone says! Even Lewis." She whispered the last part, looking around. Fang let go of the guy and watched as he shot up, stumbling forwards before backtracking and high-tailing it to a car. The squealing of tires and yelling filled the air as the members of the two gangs rushed to get away, knowing that the longer they stayed, the more likely they would be found out by their respective gang leaders.

Fang turned around from watching them run and stepped up to Maddie. She glanced up at him through her lashes.

"I think that you need to tell me what the Hell is going on now." He said, his voice low and irritated. Maddie looked away.

**Fang's POV**

Maddie fell onto her bed, rolling over and curling up, her back to me. I closed her door and locked it behind me, not wanting anyone to burst in at the wrong point. And not like that, you dirty people. No, I mean, if she were about to tell me some big, important secret and Joe barges in and she clams up. That would annoy me.

I sat down on the bed behind her and pulled the duvet away from her face. She looked at me like a pouty child who was being scolded.

"Maddie, talk to me." I said, pulling on her arm. She took the hint and rolled over to face me.

"What?" She whined.

"Tell me what's going on." I said gently, pulling the duvet up to her waist. She snuggled under it, pulling her – as I've learned – favourite Stitch teddy into her arms.

"I'll go from the start. But, Fang, you can tell no one. Please." She begged, looking up at me with her big, brown eyes.

"I would never." I murmured. She nodded.

"O.K. Well, it all started with Erin. You know I told you about how we met on that school trip? Well I wasn't quite telling the truth. She didn't just get drugs from a random guy in the street. She was in a gang. Lewis' gang. They had followed our school out and waited for Erin to come off the bus, then they took her away. Naturally I followed. Paige wasn't with us, she had taken the day off ill.

"So anyway, I followed them all the way across town only for them to whisper something in her ear, slip her some money, then run off. She looked terrified. I watched her go into a small building. A few minutes later she came out with a bag. Of drugs. She already seemed a little off her head, probably from the things they were smoking on the walk.

"She carried on down a road and across two fields. When we came to the rough part of town I knew that something really bad was going off. We only got as far as two streets into town when some guy tried to, like, molest her. I obviously jumped in. And that's where the true part of the story I told you comes in. I punched this guy in the face but unluckily for me the Police were lurking near-by. They arrested us straight off. And as you know I got out – somehow – and got Erin home. And Mum wasn't happy, considering that I had escaped from a Police Station.

"I did some research and asked around. I found out that Lewis's gang wasn't new. His brother was the leader until he got shot in the back and lost all functioning below the waist. When Lewis took over he made everything bigger and more dangerous. This used to be a peaceful neighbourhood. But he let it grow and grow. He now has exports in Spain, Germany, France and some states in America. I also found out that Erin was... Well... His personal assistant, in a sense. She would get things for him when it was too risky for him to do it himself. Things like drugs, letters from another gang, alcohol for underage kids, cigarettes, stuff like that.

"I started to work my way into the gang. I was easily accepted. I quickly built myself up until I met Lewis face to face. When I told him that I would willingly work with him only if he left Erin alone, he dropped her so fast that she almost broke her nose. It was O.K at first, I could deal with it. But he got worse. He started to threaten me, but he quickly learnt that that doesn't work, I fear nothing for myself, but he found my weakness in my family. So he threatened them instead. I caved instantly. It was odd, I was so unbothered as to what happened to me, yet so scared for my family. Then... Well, I know that you were listening to Paige and I talk that time in school." I looked down.

"So I went to Spain to look after my Dad and left Erin here, so venerable. But he didn't touch her. He didn't touch any of them. I don't know what is on his agenda but it can't be good." I sat still for a moment, soaking all of the new information in. Paige hadn't told me this much.

"You didn't know her." I said, looking down at her smooth face.

"And?" she asked, not understanding what I was going on about.

"You risked your life for someone you didn't know. Twice."

"Three times, actually."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"How can you do that?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, flopping onto her back and fiddling with Stitch's ears. "And I did know her, we became good friends after that day. I'm glad that I did what I did. Nothing would be the same if I hadn't."

"Yeah, you wouldn't be in a gang." I said.

"Fang, you have lived your life supporting the whole 'live for yourself and for your Flock, no one else matters' thing. I did too, but not like you. Mine was more like morals than anything else. Besides, she was already family when I took her place in the gang." She looked away from the blue teddy in her hands and up at me. She patted the space next to her and I laid down on my side, facing her.

"I know I did. It is amazing how selfless of a person you are," I told her. "Wait, is that you how started smoking?" Maddie looked over at me from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah. The garage that they use as their kind-of headquarters is usually filled with cigarette smoke. It is suffocating. I got addicted to cigarettes through second-hand smoke. It was disgusting. I didn't even know that my new addiction was the cause of my headaches and bad mood swings until my Mother mentioned about how I was acting like a smoker trying to quit... At first I just shrugged it off, ignoring the migraines and my aching body. But it became too much one day when Lewis started waving a lit cigarette right under my nose. The bastard knew. I didn't even have to buy them, Lewis always supplied them to me whenever I wanted them. Which became an alarmingly large amount of the time. I obviously had to quit when I moved to Spain, but it hurt so much and for so long. I felt like the Master. The one from Doctor Who. It's like a constant drumming inside my head that won't go away until I light one up. And you don't want to tell anyone because you think that they'll call you insane and run away." She rubbed one eye with her fist like a five-year-old, blinking tiredly.

"How the Hell does your eyeliner stay on?" I asked, perplexed and changing the course of the conversation without really meaning to. Hey, I'm a guy, don't judge.

Maddie froze.

"Industrial strength." She mumbled, looking everywhere but me. She yawned, her tongue sticking out like a cat's.

"Get some sleep, you need it." I murmured, brushing her fringe out of her face. I was about to stand up when she grabbed my wrist.

"Uh... Fang... Could you... Um... Possibly... Wait in here until... I, uh... Go to... Sleep?" With every pause her eyes found a new place to rest upon, but it was never me. I nodded and relaxed back into her bed. I kissed her forehead and she smiled lazily, her eyes already closed. It didn't take her long to drop off to sleep.

**Third Person**

All Maddie could do as she left her house the next morning was think about her family, related and not. Paige had flipped when Maddie had woken up and started to get ready to go; Paige hadn't gone home yet. None of them had.

Maddie just tuned Paige out, a numb expression on her face as she pulled on her shoes. Paige had then resorted to begging. Erin just sat there, staring into space, knowing that it was all pretty much her fault. Everyone else knew it too, but they said nothing. Joe was being moody and snappy, more than usual. Devan was trying to sweet talk Maddie out of it. Rose cried.

Rose always cried.

And Fang was nowhere to be seen.

She should have expected it, really. Fang was practically famous, why would he bother with her? That and he had a girlfriend. Maddie rationalized that it was probably awkward for him when she asked him to stay with her until she fell to sleep.

She didn't understand how wrong she was. Fang had to leave early, before she woke up. He had something important to do.

But as Maddie walked down the Leek-way jitty and across a small field to get to Lewis' large garage-like headquarters, she just thought that it was all her fault. It wasn't, of course, but she didn't know that.

She knocked on the large, tin-metal door and stood back, watching as it slowly rolled upward, clanking against its brace. The smell hit her before she had even a foot over the threshold of the building. Thick cigarette smoke curls, twisting with even thicker curls of smoke from some other drug, probably weed.

She covered her nose as it began to itch, blinking rapidly as her eyes watered. Something in the back of her mind started to tick. She inched her way inside, startling slightly as the door rattled shut behind her. A dull chuckle rang out in the air around her.

She walked through a reception-type room then down a set of stairs into the – yes, you won't believe this – underground part. She started coughing – it was really more like hacking – as the oxygen in the air decreased and the fumes from multiple drugs increased. It was suffocating, but she couldn't turn back now. It wasn't in her blood. She never was a run-away-from-your-issues person. Didn't like it much. That was one annoying thing about Fang.

Maddie slowly pushed a large mahogany door open, staring at it at a moment before she did so, trying to decide if it actually was mahogany; she couldn't tell, the lights were too dark. Then she realised that she was stalling and, Hell, she was a stalling person either. So she pushed the door the rest of the way open quickly and stepped forwards before she could lose any nerve. She instantly regretted her decision as she saw the large amount of people in the room and the way they were all crowded around in a circle. Everyone's eyes had gone to the door when it had burst open, and now their gazes were on her. She recognised most faces, and knew that they recognised her, too. A small part of the circle shuffled away to make an opening just big enough for her to walk through. She held her head high and kept her muscles tense, ready to kick the Shit out of anyone that moved too close or made a wrong move. No one did. Par Lewis.

"Oh, Babe, you made it!" He said happily, pulling her by the arm into middle of the circle. For a moment she worried that they were all crowded around to watch something to do with her, but then she saw a guy kneeling on the floor, his head down and his hands tied together with rough, burned looking rope. Two other teenagers, boys, were in the middle of the circle, but they were lying on the floor, unconscious. At least, she hoped they were just unconscious.

Maddie tried not to blanche.

But she was already loosing the fight, watching as the one still-awake teenager lifted his head and looked up. It was the guy from yesterday, the one that Fang had almost attacked. The one that had obviously started the fight. His face was sickly pale, framed by blood-thickened hair, a black eye and a split lip.

"Don't worry Honey, we're just talking, is all." Lewis said, dropping down to slam his fist into the guys stomach. She tried not to flinch. Lewis grinned and stood back up straight, slinging his arm across her shoulders lazily. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm, his eyes following it as he did. The hairs on the back of her neck rose.

She wanted to say something.

She didn't.

"I heard that you saw the fight, Darling," Lewis drawled in her ear, twisting a piece of her long, dark-purple hair around his pale finger. "Is he the one that started it?"

"I don't know," she told him truthfully. Because she didn't know, not for sure. She only saw the ending.

Lewis scanned her face for a moment then smiled again. Maddie was relieved that he believed her.

"Daniel said that you did start it, Damion," Lewis let go of Maddie and walked circles around the guy, who Maddie now knew was called Damion. "Don't lie to me. Maddie doesn't." He gave her a perverted smile before looking back at Damion.

"I'm not lying, Daniel is." He said, his voice raw-sounding. The crowd around us jostled, yelling at the kneeling boy. They kept chanting the same line, over and over.

"Confess your sins!"

"Confess your sins!"

"CONFESS YOUR SINS!" Their voices grew louder and louder and a drum beat began to roll in Maddie's head. She closed her eyes, taking a step back. Everything around her grew fuzzy, like static on an old television. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and her hands flew to her head. Images, voices like from a memory. A movie playing in black and white but she could feel the colours on her fingertips. Like textures. And wind against her face, tears pooling at her feet as she sobbed and screamed. But none of it was actually happening.

_She was seeing it in her head._

"_Confess your sins."_

_A roll-back. Rain hitting a tin roof. Look up. Stars shine above you. But the rain still pitter-pattering. It can't touch you. No one can touch you. You are golden._

"_You're golden."_

_A Rockstar's voice._

"_You're golden, Tricky."_

_A Rockstar's Song._

"_I love you."_

_A Rockstar's love._

"_NO!"_

_The Rockstar is gone._

"_Confess your sins!" _

"_You're such an idiot!" Grief in his voice, thick like syrup._

"_You can't change the laws of time and space!"_

"_I CAN!"_

_Now switch. You are standing in a cell. Dank and musky. Everyone's eyes are on you. You kneel down in front of your love. Both of your eyes move to your hand. The ring is wrapped around your finger. You reach for it._

"_No." Such sadness in a voice that was once so strong._

_Your eyes meet. You slip the ring off your finger._

"_Don't." He is begging now. He never begs._

_Everyone watches. Your hand opens. The ring sits on your palm._

"_Please." His voice is but a whisper._

_The ring slides away. Off of your skin. Time has slowed down, sound is nothing and everything is wrong. Time is wrong. Because you have been messing with it. It's your fault._

"_It's not your fault."_

_It is always your fault._

_The ring hits the ground._

_Silence._

"_Confess your sins!"_

_Switch again._

"_I can't love you anymore." Death comes back to haunt you._

_And again._

"_He tastes like you only sweeter!" Your heart splits in two._

_And again._

"_I've only just gotten over you!" Teeth sink into your neck._

_And again!_

"_My baby died!" It is all your fault._

_And again!_

"_You can't do this to me!" You cry out._

_AND AGAIN!_

"_Avada Kedavra!" You die..._

"_CONFESS YOUR SINS!"_

_And sunshine that shouldn't exist in a world that doesn't exist in time that hasn't happened yet._

_And a baby's cry._

_A woman's scream._

_Your scream._

_Confess._

_Your._

_Sins._

"Babe?" His voice breaks through to Maddie as she stumbles and loses her footing, falling to the ground hard. His stops kicking Damion as he hears the crowd ripple with shock at her sudden fall. He moves to her. She's gasping for air, she can't breathe. Pain is wrapped tightly around her heart. She is grieving something that hasn't happened and someone that is still alive. Someone she has never met. But she knows them.

"You a'ight?" Lewis sounds concerned, but more for the fact that he thinks that the drugs in the air are making her hallucinate and that he could be blamed than he actually cares about her well-being.

Then suddenly she's sobbing, scrambling up and shooting away. She runs from the room and down the dark hall. Up the stairs. Through the reception. Past the guard by the entrance. But before she can leave a hand wraps around her elbow and pulls her back so roughly that she cries out and almost falls again.

"What is with you?!" Lewis growled, looking at her like she had lost it. Maybe she had.

She doesn't reply, she just tries to pull away. She can feel bile rising in her throat. It hurts so much.

She is grieving.

And she doesn't know why.

Lewis looks at her for a minute longer then finally nods his head at the guy by the door, Marcus, who begins to open it.

"Just... Just come back here tomorrow. Early. Before school. And... Sort yourself out." All Maddie can do is nod and pull even harder to get away from him. He lets go and she stumbles forwards, sprinting away as soon as she gets her footing. She doesn't even wait for the door to open properly, she just ducks under it and shoots away from the building she only makes it to the alley before she trips and lands hard on her knees. But that's O.K because she can't see and vomit is shooting up her throat and she's leaning over, one hand on the old, mouldy wooden fence that encases the alley and one arm wrapped around her stomach as it heaves. Even when her stomach is empty she still kneels there, heaving as she sobs.

_For no reason._

When she can finally get a hold of herself she wipes her mouth with her sleeve – she knows it's gross but she can't bare the taste of bile – and staggers to her feet. She looks around, hoping that no one saw or heard her breakdown. She pulls at the hem of her shirt, feeling like she was being watched. She quickly walked away, her head down and her hair covering her face. Her silent tears.

Her grief.

And as she turns the corner at the end of the alley and steps onto the open street, disappearing from view, Fang steps out of the shadows. One of his hands is rubbing his chest, right over his heart.

He can't breathe. Pain is wrapped tightly around his heart. He is grieving something that hasn't happened and someone that is still alive. Someone he has never met. But he knows them.

Because he saw it too. All of it. And he is grieving.

Grieving for his child.

Their... Child.

But he doesn't know it.

Yet...

* * *

**Do you hate me yet?**

**Because I hate me.**

**I think that that was pretty evil of me...**

**Never mind.**

**I have no morals.**

**If you know what I mean.**

**So, yeah.**

**Also, I am changing my name! LOOK AT THIS! READ IT! DON'T FREAK OUT WHEN YOU SEE THAT A DIFFERENT USERNAME HAS UPDATED MY FICS, BECAUSE IT IS STILL ME! I JUST CHANGED MY NAME! IT IS GOING TO BE...**

**DRUMROLL...**

**KeeperOfThePeterick**

**OH, YEAAAAAAAH!**

***Clears throat***

**So, yeah,**

**R&R?!**


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